Amendment 13: B.3 TMS Final Text

Amendment 13 releases final text for program element B.3 Heliophysics Theory, Modeling, and Simulations.

Increasingly, as computing power becomes more affordable and more available, numerical simulations and modeling become tools that can and have been used synergistically with data analyses and rigorous theory development to solve the fundamental problems of Heliophysics. Artificial intelligence (AI) and its subset, machine learning (ML), techniques have become potentially effective means for achieving scientific goals, collecting and analyzing large data sets. Scientists have begun to use "theory-aided" or "knowledge-aided" AI to achieve breakthroughs. All of these tools and techniques can lead the way to new understanding and drive science concepts for future strategic missions. TMS investigations may use any of these methodologies, separately or together to address a specific science problem. Theory investigations alone are encouraged. Investigations using the concepts of AI are encouraged. More traditional modeling and simulation are also acceptable for this TMS solicitation. All investigations must compare against observations for ground truth. The ultimate goal of TMS investigations is to provide a complete chain of reasoning extending from the basic laws of nature to comparison with observation to the identification of future quantitative tests of the behavior of the environment.

Step-1 proposals are due October 3, 2019 and 20-page Step-2 proposals are due by December 3, 2019.

Questions concerning this program element may be directed to Katya Verner at ekaterina.m.verner@nasa.gov.