Prediction of Major Solar Flares Using Interpretable Class-dependent Reward Framework with Active Region Magnetograms and Domain Knowledge

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Main Authors: Wu, Zixian, Li, Xuebao, Zheng, Yanfang, Wang, Rui, Zhang, Shunhuang, Wei, Jinfang, Lv, Yongshang, Dong, Liang, Abidin, Zamri Zainal, Shah, Noraisyah Mohamed, Ye, Hongwei, Yan, Pengchao, Li, Xuefeng, Ji, Xiaojia, Huang, Xusheng, Wang, Xiaotian, Jin, Honglei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Wu, Zixian
Li, Xuebao
Zheng, Yanfang
Wang, Rui
Zhang, Shunhuang
Wei, Jinfang
Lv, Yongshang
Dong, Liang
Abidin, Zamri Zainal
Shah, Noraisyah Mohamed
Ye, Hongwei
Yan, Pengchao
Li, Xuefeng
Ji, Xiaojia
Huang, Xusheng
Wang, Xiaotian
Jin, Honglei
author_facet Wu, Zixian
Li, Xuebao
Zheng, Yanfang
Wang, Rui
Zhang, Shunhuang
Wei, Jinfang
Lv, Yongshang
Dong, Liang
Abidin, Zamri Zainal
Shah, Noraisyah Mohamed
Ye, Hongwei
Yan, Pengchao
Li, Xuefeng
Ji, Xiaojia
Huang, Xusheng
Wang, Xiaotian
Jin, Honglei
contents In this work, we develop, for the first time, a supervised classification framework with class-dependent rewards (CDR) to predict $\geq$MM flares within 24 hr. We construct multiple datasets, covering knowledge-informed features and line-of sight (LOS) magnetograms. We also apply three deep learning models (CNN, CNN-BiLSTM, and Transformer) and three CDR counterparts (CDR-CNN, CDR-CNN-BiLSTM, and CDR-Transformer). First, we analyze the importance of LOS magnetic field parameters with the Transformer, then compare its performance using LOS-only, vector-only, and combined magnetic field parameters. Second, we compare flare prediction performance based on CDR models versus deep learning counterparts. Third, we perform sensitivity analysis on reward engineering for CDR models. Fourth, we use the SHAP method for model interpretability. Finally, we conduct performance comparison between our models and NASA/CCMC. The main findings are: (1)Among LOS feature combinations, R_VALUE and AREA_ACR consistently yield the best results. (2)Transformer achieves better performance with combined LOS and vector magnetic field data than with either alone. (3)Models using knowledge-informed features outperform those using magnetograms. (4)While CNN and CNN-BiLSTM outperform their CDR counterparts on magnetograms, CDR-Transformer is slightly superior to its deep learning counterpart when using knowledge-informed features. Among all models, CDR-Transformer achieves the best performance. (5)The predictive performance of the CDR models is not overly sensitive to the reward choices.(6)Through SHAP analysis, the CDR model tends to regard TOTUSJH as more important, while the Transformer tends to prioritize R_VALUE more.(7)Under identical prediction time and active region (AR) number, the CDR-Transformer shows superior predictive capabilities compared to NASA/CCMC.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_16264
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Prediction of Major Solar Flares Using Interpretable Class-dependent Reward Framework with Active Region Magnetograms and Domain Knowledge
Wu, Zixian
Li, Xuebao
Zheng, Yanfang
Wang, Rui
Zhang, Shunhuang
Wei, Jinfang
Lv, Yongshang
Dong, Liang
Abidin, Zamri Zainal
Shah, Noraisyah Mohamed
Ye, Hongwei
Yan, Pengchao
Li, Xuefeng
Ji, Xiaojia
Huang, Xusheng
Wang, Xiaotian
Jin, Honglei
Machine Learning
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
In this work, we develop, for the first time, a supervised classification framework with class-dependent rewards (CDR) to predict $\geq$MM flares within 24 hr. We construct multiple datasets, covering knowledge-informed features and line-of sight (LOS) magnetograms. We also apply three deep learning models (CNN, CNN-BiLSTM, and Transformer) and three CDR counterparts (CDR-CNN, CDR-CNN-BiLSTM, and CDR-Transformer). First, we analyze the importance of LOS magnetic field parameters with the Transformer, then compare its performance using LOS-only, vector-only, and combined magnetic field parameters. Second, we compare flare prediction performance based on CDR models versus deep learning counterparts. Third, we perform sensitivity analysis on reward engineering for CDR models. Fourth, we use the SHAP method for model interpretability. Finally, we conduct performance comparison between our models and NASA/CCMC. The main findings are: (1)Among LOS feature combinations, R_VALUE and AREA_ACR consistently yield the best results. (2)Transformer achieves better performance with combined LOS and vector magnetic field data than with either alone. (3)Models using knowledge-informed features outperform those using magnetograms. (4)While CNN and CNN-BiLSTM outperform their CDR counterparts on magnetograms, CDR-Transformer is slightly superior to its deep learning counterpart when using knowledge-informed features. Among all models, CDR-Transformer achieves the best performance. (5)The predictive performance of the CDR models is not overly sensitive to the reward choices.(6)Through SHAP analysis, the CDR model tends to regard TOTUSJH as more important, while the Transformer tends to prioritize R_VALUE more.(7)Under identical prediction time and active region (AR) number, the CDR-Transformer shows superior predictive capabilities compared to NASA/CCMC.
title Prediction of Major Solar Flares Using Interpretable Class-dependent Reward Framework with Active Region Magnetograms and Domain Knowledge
topic Machine Learning
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16264