This project will produce a new class of numerical model for space physics simulations that incorporates a greater range of the physics believed to be important in the dynamics of the heliosphere and magnetosphere. This will permit researchers to study some of the heliospheric phenomena that in which small-scale and large-scale features are inextricably linked. The approach to be taken seeks to represent both the dynamic and the kinematic aspects of plasma, ions and neutral atoms in the heliosphere. The model will combine MHD for representing plasma dynamics with Monte Carlo simulation techniques for representing neutral atoms and transport codes for very energetic particles. The resulting multi-physics code will be used for research into: (a) the dynamics of the heliosphere, including its interaction with extra-solar particles and cosmic rays, and changes associated with the time-dependent solar wind and solar cycle; and (b) the propagation of shocks such as those associated with coronal mass ejections. It will also be used as the basis for a geospace general circulation model for use in the study of space weather. The resulting model will include a structured-grid adaptive mesh refinement capability, to help resolve small-scale features in a computationally efficient way, and innovative approaches to load-balancing and task scheduling so that the adaptive code will run efficiently on highly parallel computing platforms.
