Global Driving of Auroral Conductance - Balance of Sources & Numerical
Considerations
Abstract
We present latest results from the Conductance Model for Extreme Events
(CMEE) and the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere (MAGNIT)
Conductance Model. Both models have been integrated into the Space
Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) to couple dynamically with the
BATS-R-US MHD model, the Rice Convection Model (RCM) of the ring current
& the Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM) to simulate the April 2010
“Galaxy15” Event. The model is used with three grid configurations:
the low-resolution configuration currently employed by NOAA’s Space
Weather Prediction Center and two additional configurations that
decrease the minimum grid resolution from ¼ RE to ⅛ and 1/16 RE. In
addition, the simulation is driven with and without the dynamic coupling
with RCM to study the impact of the ring current’s pressure correction
in the inner magnetospheric domain. Using this model setup for a
Maxwellian distribution, aforementioned precipitation sources are
progressively applied and compared against the DMSP SSUSI observations.
Finally, data-model comparisons against AMPERE Field-Aligned Currents,
geomagnetic indices & magnetometer measurements are shown, with
additional comparison against the existing conductance model in RIM.
Results show remarkable progress in auroral precipitation modeling & MI
coupling layouts in global models.