Magnetospheric Dynamical and Morphological Response to Multi-species Plasma Supply From the Ionosphere:New Comprehensive 3D PIC Simulation.

Abstract:

The outflow of thermal plasma from the high latitude ionosphere to the magnetosphere (polar wind) has been under investigation using observations and statistical studies for four decades in the altitude range from 1000km to ~ 10 Re, yet we are still missing a global and consistent three-dimensional time-dependent picture of the wind system at the interface between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere. Several questions remain unanswered, such as: I) How the ionospheric ions plasma impact the global structure of the magnetosphere. II) What are the energisation processes of that plasma and where they operate (plasma sheet, ring currents). III) What fraction of the supplied plasma returns to the ionosphere and with what properties after a journey in the magnetosphere; etc. Here, we use a spherical symmetric ionospheric model (International reference ionosphere IRI-2007) that we merge with 3D PIC EM Global code to simulate Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Our aim is to investigate the time-dependent content and dynamics of the 3D magnetosphere in response to thermal ions plasma supply from the ionosphere. Following a comprehensive approach, in this first step, we do not consider chemical reactions nor any feedback from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere. Our newly developed 3D PIC model has a finer grid size (0.1-0.2 R_E), a H⁺ to electron mass ratio of up to 100, includes Earth gravity and tilt of the dipole field. Most importantly, the new tool has the capability to consider distinct species with different masses and charges and to follow them in time separately in the simulation box. We present our first results for the content and dynamics of the magnetosphere following H+ and O+ supply from the ionosphere in the conditions of northern IMF of the solar wind.