Global Coronal Models and Forward Modeling: Connecting Observables to the Underlying Physical State of the Corona

Understanding, modeling, and eventually predicting the three dimensional structure of the coronal magnetic field is of primary interest to a variety of science and forecasting applications. In this talk, we outline recent progress and challenges in modeling the thermal-magnetic structure of the corona, which involves capturing the essential interplay between heating, plasma dynamics, and the structured magnetic field of the corona. A major element of constructing such models is drawing from remote sensing diagnostics to inform and constrain them. We discuss the various ways that extreme ultraviolet imaging, white light coronagraphy, coronal hole detections, and other diagnostics can be used in concert with forward modeling to vet coronal models. Although much of the discussion will be framed around recent advances in heating and energizing the coronal magnetic field, we will also discuss practical considerations, including boundary conditions, line-of-sight effects, and complexity indicators that might be generally relevant to other coronal magnetic field models.