Space Weather Modeling Framework Users Present Advancements in Science Technology

The University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering will host scientists, developers, and scholars from around the world during the Space Weather Modeling Framework User Meeting on March 2-3, 2023.

The Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) is a versatile tool that can be used to study the Sun, the heliosphere, and planetary space environments, including that of the Earth. The full SWMF suite was developed at the University of Michigan, where it has been maintained since its inception.

“We’re excited to celebrate the accomplishments of the users of the code and the code they have developed,” said U-M Climate and Space Assistant Professor Dan Welling.

The meeting is slated to include presentations from users at nearly a dozen institutions, and the effort involves participation from NASA, NOAA, the National Laboratories, and the National Science Foundation, as well as many research universities.

“This gives us an opportunity to see the cutting-edge work that’s being done within the Space Weather Modeling Framework,” said Welling. “It also gives us time to reflect on where we’re going with the code, and to get a sense of people’s uses and needs for the code and the broader modeling framework.”

Users will converge at the meeting, either in person or virtually, from locations around the world, including the U.S., Germany, China, Sweden, Finland, and Argentina, to name a few. It will take place from 9am-5pm in the Climate and Space Research Building on the University of Michigan’s North Campus. Welling is working with Research Professor Gabor Toth to facilitate the meeting, which is typically held once every two years.

Using an innovative software package, the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) provides a common operating environment for a wide variety of space weather modeling components. Each component models a particular aspect of the conditions found in space, from the sun and the heliosphere to the magnetosphere. The SWMF can also be used for applications not related to space weather, such as high energy density physics, exoplanets, or general plasma physics, to name a few.

The versatile tool gives scientists, developers, and scholars from institutions around the world a way to collaborate, to better understand the impacts of space weather. The framework is openly available to anyone who successfully registers to obtain a user license. A major part of the framework has also been released on Github under a noncommercial open-source license.

For more information, visit the Space Weather Modeling Framework website.