Physics-Anchored Real-Time Operational Modeling of Plasma Transport (PROMPT)

Solar storms can severely disrupt satellites, power grids, and navigation-dependent systems, causing millions in damage. To date, there have been no reliable, rapid forecasts of such events. Dr. Reichherzer aims to close this gap with his PROMPT project.

The project combines the laws of physics governing the motion of charged particles with modern generative AI models. The method he developed has already been validated in laser-plasma experiments in the lab. It reduces the computational effort by several orders of magnitude and enables resource-efficient real-time forecasts. In the long term, PROMPT will provide a building block for a global early-warning system that reduces damage to critical infrastructure caused by space weather.

The project brings together the fields of physics, astronomy, and computer science. It is part of the ELLIS Unit in Jena and a collaboration with the Thuringian State Observatory.