Implementing turbulence transport in the CRONOS framework and application to the propagation of CMEs

TL;DR

This paper integrates turbulence transport equations into the CRONOS MHD framework, enabling more accurate modeling of solar wind turbulence and CME propagation, with implications for energetic particle transport.

Contribution

The novel implementation of turbulence transport equations in CRONOS allows for extended simulations closer to the Sun and improved modeling of CME-related turbulence effects.

Findings

Turbulence levels increase at shocks and steep gradients in CMEs.

Cross-helicity declines more slowly with the new model.

Turbulence has minimal back-reaction on large-scale solar wind flow.

Abstract

We present the implementation of turbulence transport equations in addition to the Reynolds-averaged MHD equations within the Cronos framework. The model is validated by comparisons with earlier findings before it is extended to be applicable to regions in the solar wind that are not highly super-Alfv\'enic. We find that the respective additional terms result in absolute normalized cross-helicity to decline more slowly, while a proper implementation of the mixing terms can even lead to increased cross-helicities in the inner heliosphere. The model extension allows to place the inner boundary of the simulations closer to the Sun, where we choose its location at 0.1 AU for future application to the Wang-Sheeley-Arge model. Here, we concentrate on effects on the turbulence evolution for transient events by injecting a coronal mass ejection (CME). We find that the steep gradients and shocks associated with these structures result in enhanced turbulence levels and reduced cross-helicity. Our results can now be used straightforwardly for studying the transport of charged energetic particles, where the elements of the diffusion tensor can now benefit from the self-consistently computed solar wind turbulence. Furthermore, we find that there is no strong back-reaction of the turbulence on the large-scale flow so that CME studies concentrating on the latter need not be extended to include turbulence transport effects.