3-D Electromagnetic Particle Simulation on the Solar Wind Energy Transfer into the Magnetosphere Recently developed particle code techniques and faster computers have made possible have made possible 3-D and fully have made possible 3-D and fully electromagnetic simulations. These new techniques will be applied to the global interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetosphere to investigate energy transport through the bowshock and magnetopause and on into the magnetosphere. Evolution and configuration of the magnetopause is handled through dynamic particle-field pressure balance. Applicable plasma instabilities will be studied using the code, thus complementing analytical theories of the magnetopause. Resulting nonlinear phenomena, namely heating and diffusion of particle due to excited waves, will be compared with relevant observations. The new 3-D electromagnetic (E-M) code is already operational and preliminary results show how the magnetopause is created. Energetic solar particles enter the forward magnetic cusps and descend into the auroral zones. The bunching of plasma due to kinetic instabilities is seen at the magnetopause near the equatorial plane. Heating of both ions and electrons is observed and dawn-dusk asymmetry is also seen. The same code is capable of simulating the effects of changes in various solar wind conditions such as: wind density and velocity, electron and ion temperatures, cross- field flow component of the flow, and interplanetary (IMF) strength and orientation. A variety of diagnostics is ready to apply to code results, including novel 3-D graphics techniques, monitoring of excited waves by tranform methods and the measuring of diffusion rates.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS)
Application #
9121116
Program Officer
Robert M. Robinson
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1992-02-01
Budget End
1995-07-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
$207,500
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Iowa
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Iowa City
State
IA
Country
United States
Zip Code
52242