Flux Rope

Flux ropes are twisted bundles of magnetic field lines, commonly found within interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), that are a major driver of geomagnetic disturbances. Current research focuses on accurately determining their orientation from in-situ solar wind observations, employing machine learning techniques like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automate this previously manual process and improve geomagnetic disturbance forecasting. This improved forecasting capability is crucial for mitigating the impact of space weather on technological infrastructure. The accuracy of these predictions is being actively refined by considering factors like incomplete observations and inherent flux rope variability.