A 3-dimensional global MHD simulation of the interaction between the solar wind and the earths magnetosphere has been executed to study the space weather "electrojet challenge" event of March 19-20, 1999. For this event, after a sudden turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) from northward to southward, the field was steadily southward for a period of ~ 12 hours in the presence of very stable wind speed and density. As input for the simulation, one minute values of solar wind parameters from the ACE satellite were utilized, namely the x-component of the solar wind velocity, the solar wind density, the plasma pressure and the y- and z-components of the IMF in solar-magnetospheric coordinates.
In the simulation model the MHD equation and Maxwell's equation were solved as an initial and boundary problem due to modified leap-frog method. Number of grid points is (nx,ny,nz)=(500,100,200) and grid spacing is uniform and 0.5Re in three direction. Therefore the simulation domain is -220.25Re<x<30.25Re, -0.25Re<y<50.25Re, and -50.25Re<z<50.25Re.
In the simulation, the cross polar cap potential increased from 40 kV to 80 kV within 5-10 minutes of the time of the southward turning of the IMF after which there was almost steady convection in the magnetosphere and polar ionosphere. This steady convection is a consequence of a balance that developed between the reconnection rates in the dayside magnetosphere and in the magnetotail.
We presented three kind graphics output of cross sectional profiles of energy in the noon-midnight and equatorial planes, polar plots and configuration of magnetic field lines every 10
minutes. They are shown by movie (QuickTime and GIF formats),
GIF format files and PostScript files.
We also presented three dimensional visualization of the magnetosphere by using VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and the vrml files (*.wrl) can be watched by VRML viewer such as "cosmo player" in the personal computers and workstations.
--readme1.txt
figure ---- a990319.gif ACE plot for 00:00-24:00 on 03/19
a990319.ps PostScript file
a990319a.gif ACE plot for 10:00-13:00
a990319a.ps
a990319b.gif ACE plot for 00:00-24:00
a990319b.ps
a990320.gif ACE plot for 00:00-24:00 om 03/20
a990320.ps
a990320b.gif ACE plot for 00:00-24:00 om 03/20
a990320b.ps
mhd24h.gif simulated potential for 00:00-24:00
mhd24h.ps
mhd3h10m.gif simulated potential for 10:00-13:00
mhd3h10m.ps
mhd3h1m.gif simulated potential for 10:00-13:00
mhd3h1m.ps
movie ---- GIF movie (GIF format)
zd001067.gif B, V and P plots (black and white)
00:10-12:00 every 10 minutes gif movie
zd021390.gif 00:10-24:00 every 10 minutes gif movie
zd073139.gif 12:10-24:00 every 10 minutes gif movie
ze001067.gif Polar plots, electric potential
ze021390.gif
ze073139.gif
zeb07271.gif
zec07271.gif
zf001067.gif Polar plots, vorticity and parallel velocity
zf021390.gif
zf073139.gif
zm001067.gif Magnetic field lines
zm073139.gif
zmec1390.gif
zz001067.gif Cross sectional pattern of magnetosphere
zz021390.gif
zz073139.gif
min25e2b ---- polar convection and potential (1 min)
eb0601.ps.gz PostScript file 06:01 - 06:10
eb06011.gif gif file t=06:01
eb06012.gif gif file t=06:02
eb06013.gif gif file t=06:03
min25e2c ---- vorticity and parallel velocity (1 min)
psz25e2b ---- polar convection and potential
psz25e2c ---- vorticity and parallel velocity
eb0010.ps.gz PostScript file 00:10 - 01:00
eb00101.gif gif file t=00:10
eb00102.gif gif file t=00:20
eb00103.gif gif file t=00:30
psz4903b ---- Magnetic field lines
psz753b ---- B, V and P plots (black and white)
psz754b ---- plot on sun-earh line (black and white)
pszz22ab ---- Cross sectional pattern of magnetosphere
vrml -------- Three dimensional visualization of the magnetosphere
by using VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)
vrml files (*.wrl) can be watched by cosmo player
yv190639.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:39
yv190647.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:39
yv190650.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:50
yv190660.wrl
yv190663.wrl
yv190681.wrl
yv190683.wrl
yv190690.wrl
yv190700.wrl
yv190740.wrl
yv190750.wrl
yv190760.wrl
zb753b190650.wrl cross sectional patern at 10:50
zvr5.fb190650.wrl 3D magnetic field lines at 10:50
vrml -------- Three dimensional visualization with transparent technique
xv190639.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:39
xv190647.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:39
xv190650.wrl magnetospheric structure at 10:50
xv190660.wrl
xv190663.wrl
xv190681.wrl
xv190683.wrl
xv190690.wrl
xv190700.wrl
xv190740.wrl
xv190750.wrl
xv190760.wrl
Acknowledgments:
CONTACTS:
Tatsuki Ogino
Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory
Nagoya University
3-13 Honohara, Toyokawa, Aichi 442-8507, Japan
E-mail: ogino[AT]stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp
TEL: +81-533-89-5207 FAX: +81-533-89-5090