HR: 09:30h
AN: SA41A-06 [Abstracts]
TI: A Self-consistently Coupled Model of the Inner Magnetosphere and Thermosphere- Ionosphere-Plasmasphere system
AU: * Maruyama, N
EM: naomi.maruyama@noaa.gov
AF: CIRES, Univ. of Colorado, and SEC, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United
States
AU: Fuller-Rowell, T J
EM: Tim.Fuller-Rowell@noaa.gov
AF: CIRES, Univ. of Colorado, and SEC, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United
States
AU: Codrescu, M
EM: Mihail.Codrescu@noaa.gov
AF: CIRES, Univ. of Colorado, and SEC, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United
States
AU: Anderson, D
EM: David.Anderson@noaa.gov
AF: CIRES, Univ. of Colorado, and SEC, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United
States
AU: Richmond, A
EM: richmond@ucar.edu
AF: HAO, NCAR, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, CO 80305, United States
AU: Maute, A
EM: maute@ucar.edu
AF: HAO, NCAR, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, CO 80305, United States
AU: Sazykin, S
EM: sazykin@rice.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, 6100 South Main St., Houston, TX
77005, United States
AU: Toffoletto, F
EM: toffo@rice.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, 6100 South Main St., Houston, TX
77005, United States
AU: Spiro, R
EM: spiro@rice.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, 6100 South Main St., Houston, TX
77005, United States
AU: Wolf, R
EM: rawolf@rice.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, 6100 South Main St., Houston, TX
77005, United States
AU: Millward, G
EM: George.Millward@noaa.gov
AF: LASP, Univ. of Colorado, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AB:
We have developed a self-consistent first-principles model of the inner magnetosphere and thermosphere-
ionosphere-plasmasphere, in order to understand the response of the electrodynamic interactions within the
coupled system and the role of the electrodynamics in restructuring the ionosphere, plasmasphere and
thermosphere, in particular, during the geomagnetic disturbances. Modeling of the storm-time ionospheric
electric fields requires a description of the two disturbance mechanisms: prompt penetration and disturbance
dynamo. We have coupled the Rice Convection Model (RCM), used to calculate the region 2 field aligned currents
from the inner magnetosphere which controls the shielding process, and the Coupled Thermosphere
Ionosphere Plasmasphere electrodynamics (CTIPe) model, driven, in part, by RCM-computed electric fields,
used to calculate the time-dependent conductivities and neutral winds which are the key to produce the
disturbance dynamo. Self-consistency in the electrodynamic coupling between RCM and CTIPe is accomplished
by using a common global electrodynamic solver.
As compared to the historical picture of prompt penetration, our previous model results from the non self-
consistent coupling suggest the possibility that penetration effects can have a longer lifetime when the IMF Bz is
large and negative as a consequence of the ineffective shielding resulting from the magnetospheric
reconfiguration. Furthermore, our simulations indicate that the arrival of the disturbance dynamo effect in the low
latitude ionosphere can possibly be faster than previously believed, as the disturbance dynamo is modified by the
changes in the conductivity and neutral wind initiated by the penetration effect. Comparison of the results from the
combined models with observations under a variety of conditions demonstrates that our models are capable of
reproducing many of the measurements in the ionosphere. On the other hand, the feedback of the storm-time
conductivity and neutral wind on the inner magnetospheric electric field has a larger impact on the night side,
indicating that the disturbance dynamo can modify the penetration electric field. In this presentation, the above
issues of the electrodynamic interactions will be addressed by the fully self consistently coupled model.
DE: 2411 Electric fields (2712)
DE: 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions (2736)
DE: 2435 Ionospheric disturbances
DE: 2441 Ionospheric storms (7949)
DE: 2447 Modeling and forecasting
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly