My project is to model the Solar dynamo with fully compressible resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) using the Pencil Code in high performance parallel numerical computations. The dynamics of the Sun are critically dependent on the strong magnetic fields it generates within its interior by various dynamo processes. The interaction betwenn the magnetic field and the highly turbulent hot plasma comprising the Sun, lead to variations in radiation and intermittent explosive events, which may sporadically shower the Earth with bursts of high energy particles, which can be critical to power grids, aircraft and particularly to space craft. In addition there may also be consequences for the long term and short term variability of terrestrial temperatures.

There are many aspects of these processes, which are poorly understood, such as the structure and mechansim for the solar dynamo; the nature of heating of the solar atmosphere and causes and predictability of solar flares, solar wind and coronal mass ejections; the interaction between the solar wind, space weather and the planetary atmosphere and magnetic field, which protects us from the destructive power of the solar wind. Our group in Aalto is investigating the soalr dynamo, within the umbrella of the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence: Research on Solar Long-term Variability and Effects (ReSoLVE), alongside other groups considering other aspects of the process trhough the solar atmosphere, interplanetary space weather and the Earth's ionosphere.