Open AccessOne‐way coupled OpenGGCM/RCM simulation of the 23 March 2007 substorm event
Author(s) -
Hu B.,
Toffoletto F. R.,
Wolf R. A.,
Sazykin S.,
Raeder J.,
Larson D.,
Vapirev A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010ja015360
Subject(s) - substorm , physics , magnetosphere , plasma , geophysics , ionosphere , computational physics , electric field , flux (metallurgy) , magnetic field , nuclear physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
We present results of a simulation of a substorm on 23 March 2007 using the one‐way coupled Open Geospace General Circulation Model–Rice Convection Model (OpenGGCM/RCM). In the standalone RCM, inputs are typically taken from empirical models or inferred from satellite data; however, in this simulation, the OpenGGCM magnetic field and plasma information are used to supply inputs and boundary conditions for the RCM. The OpenGGCM ionospheric potential is used to drive a RCM run. That simulation is used to investigate the short time scale dynamics that occurred around substorm onset and assumes the OpenGGCM has a realistic representation of the inner magnetospheric magnetic field during this event. In these runs, a channel of low total entropy plasma opened up on the RCM tailward boundary around substorm onset, and plasma bubbles were injected into the inner magnetosphere. These bubbles were produced by nonadiabatic processes in the OpenGGCM such as magnetic reconnection. We compare the RCM energetic particle flux with measurements from two Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) satellites. A dispersionless electron injection is reproduced at the LANL‐89 location and a dispersed flux increase at the LANL‐97A location. The results indicate the low‐ PV 5/3 plasma accompanying magnetic field dipolarization produced earthward plasma motion as the result of these low‐entropy flux tubes interchanging their way into the inner magnetosphere; this process may play an important role in substorm particle injection. A comparison simulation in which the electric field is solved by the RCM is also presented, suggesting the need to use RCM's electric field for more accurate inner magnetosphere modeling.