HR: 12:05h
AN: P52B-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Prediction of Solar Wind Properties at Saturn: Models and Validation
AU: * Zieger, B
EM: bzieger@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
AU: Hansen, K C
EM: kenhan@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
AU: Cohen, O
EM: oferc@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
AU: Gombosi, T I
EM: tamas@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
AB: To study the role of solar wind driving in the dynamics of the Saturnian magnetosphere, one needs information about the solar wind plasma in the foreshock region. Due to the lack of continuous in-situ measurements, we have to predict the solar wind properties at Saturn by means of solar wind propagation models. So far, mainly 1-D MHD models have been used to propagate the solar wind observed near the Earth to the outer planets. Recently we have developed a 2-D version of our solar wind propagation code, which is expected to further improve solar wind predictions in the ecliptic plane, and can make use of multipoint solar wind input data, e.g. from the Stereo spacecraft. In addition, we are working on a completely different approach of solar wind propagation: a 3-D semi- empirical solar wind model driven by synoptic magnetic charts observed on the solar surface. In this paper, the advantages and limitations of these three models are discussed. Furthermore, we present an extensive validation study of our 1-D model based on the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field data of major heliospheric missions like the Pioneer, Voyager, and Ulysses spacecraft. We investigate the efficiency of solar wind predictions as a function of azimuthal distance from opposition (when the Earth and the given spacecraft are located at the same helioecliptic longitude). A possible effect of solar cycle phase on the prediction efficiency is also examined. Finally, model results are compared with Cassini measurements of the solar wind.
DE: 0545 Modeling (4255)
DE: 2134 Interplanetary magnetic fields
DE: 2139 Interplanetary shocks
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
DE: 3238 Prediction (3245, 4263)
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting