Tracking heliospheric shock waves by radio triangulation and modelling

Tracking of shock waves through the inner heliosphere is the holy grail of space weather research. This PhD thesis plans a giant leap forward by combining new observational techniques from the ROB radio astronomy group with the state-of-the-art of numerical modelling from KULeuven. By combining radio triangulation techniques, the onset course of an interplanetary shock leaving the sun will be precisely determined. The measured parameters can then be fed into the EUFHORIA Heliospheric simulation code for further tracking the shock and CME up to Earth and beyond. The ultimate goal of this work is to improve space weather forecasts but on the way to get there we will address the following main objectives: 1. Expanding and assessing radio triangulation techniques by including extra parameters deduced from observations 2. Resolving of long-standing questions on the generation of type II sources in interplanetary CME driven shocks 3. Validating EUHFORIA by constraining it with precise inputs deduced from remote sensing radio observations and derived propagation properties (direction, time of travel) of interplanetary disturbances aiming at Earth and other planets.