Particle Acceleration in the Low Corona Over Broad Longitudes: Coupling MHD and 3D Particle Simulations

Recent work on the coupling between the Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module (EPREM, a 3D energetic particle model) and Magnetohydrodynamics Around a Sphere (MAS, an MHD code developed at Predictive Science, Inc.) has demonstrated the efficacy of compression regions around fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for particle acceleration low in the corona (∼ 3 - 6 solar radii). These couplings show rapid particle acceleration over a broad longitudinal extent (∼ 80 degrees) resulting from the pile-up of magnetic flux in the compression regions and their subsequent expansion. The challenge for forming large SEP events in such compression-acceleration scenarios is to have enhanced scattering within the acceleration region while also allowing for efficient escape of accelerated particles downstream (away from the Sun) from the compression region. We present here the most recent simulation results including energetic particle and CME plasma profiles, the subsequent flux and dosages at 1AU, and an analysis of the compressional regions as efficient accelerators.