HR: 0830h
AN: SM21B-0211    [PDF]
TI: 3D Modelling of Wave Propagation in Earth Magnetosphere
AU: * Marchand, R
EM: Richard.Marchand@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Department of Physics University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J1 Canada
AU: Rankin, R
EM: rankin@phys.ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Department of Physics University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J1 Canada
AU: Kabin, K
EM: kabin@phys.ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Department of Physics University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J1 Canada
AB: We present results from a three-dimensional global model of Shear-Alfv‚n waves in the Earth magnetosphere. In this model, the plasma is described in the one-fluid ideal MHD approximation and the governing equations are discretized using finite elements on an unstructured tetrahedral mesh. Because of the strong anisotropy that characterizes magnetized plasmas, the unstructured mesh needs to be aligned along the local magnetic field lines. In practice, this implies that every tetrahedron must have two of its vertices along the same magnetic field line. Results are first presented in the linear approximation; that is, for small amplitude waves with a negligible effect on the background plasma. The evolution of driven, finite amplitude Shear-Alfv‚n waves is then considered by solving the full set of non linear equations. Simulations are carried for both dipolar, and stretched magnetic field geometries.
DE: 2752 MHD waves and instabilities
DE: 2753 Numerical modeling
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting