Authors: Nikolett Biro (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Lulu Zhao (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Igor Sokolov (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Sailee Sawant (University of Alabama in Huntsville), Claudio Corti (NASA CCMC), Weihao Liu (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Alex Shane (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Nishtha Sachdeva (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Tamas Gombosi (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Gergely Koban (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Kathryn Whitman (NASA Space Radiation Analysis Group), Mary Aronne (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, M2M office), Elizabeth Juelfs (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, M2M office), Michelangelo Romano (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, M2M office), Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, M2M office), M. Leila Mays (NASA CCMC)

The Center for All-Clear Solar Energetic Particle Forecast (CLEAR) project aims to transform space weather forecasting by delivering robust, quantifiable predictions of solar energetic particles (SEP) up to 24 hours in advance, enabling reliable identification of hazardous conditions and safe “all-clear” periods for astronauts, aviation, and satellite operations. The Solar Wind With Field Lines and Energetic Particles (SOFIE) model is the physics-based model in CLEAR, consisting of the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model–Realtime (AWSoM-R), which models the background solar wind, the Eruptive Event Generator based on the Gibson–Low flux rope (EEG-GL) tool to determine the input parameters for Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), and the Multiple Field Line particle Advection Model for Particle Acceleration (M-FLAMPA) and Monte carlo Integration of Turbulent Transport and ENergization of SEPs (MITTENS) modules that handle the transport and acceleration of SEPs.

We present an automatic version of CME information retrieval and simulation initiation integrated into SOFIE. We utilize the Space Weather Database Of Notifications, Knowledge, Information (DONKI) system available at the Community Coordinated Simulation Center (CCMC) to retrieve new CME detections, then use the CME time, speed, and source location information, alongside with the corresponding National Solar Observatory Global Oscillation Network Group (NSO GONG) magnetogram, as inputs into an algorithm detecting Regions of Interest (ROI). The ROI detection algorithm then, based on the magnetogram, finds the candidate Active Regions (AR) closest to the source location of the CME, and calculates the flux-weighted centroid position of the positive and negative polarities. The polarity coordinates are then passed on to EEG-GL for calculation of the input parameters of our inserted CME flux-rope. Once the parameters are determined by EEG-GL, SOFIE will launch an integrated CME and SEP simulation and provide forecasts. Only CMEs whose speed exceeds 800 km/s and half width exceeds 20 degrees are simulated. 

The automated CME simulation pipeline is a crucial component of the automatic SOFIE pipeline, enabling routine physics-based simulations of SEPs for mission support and operational readiness. The pipeline was tested operationally during the Artemis II mission (April 1-11, 2026), and has continued running and producing outputs ever since. All the outputs and simulated events are available through a dedicated website.