Extended MHD approach to dayside reconnection

Abstract:

The quantitative characterization of reconnection in relation to the topology of magnetic fields, plasma heating, and plasma acceleration processes remains elusive. Reconnecting plasmas can be modeled to a certain degree by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) by introducing extended moment equations. We assess the role of different fluid representations of reconnection physics in the terrestrial magnetosphere. We apply a state-of-the-art numerical model containing different physics modules, the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), for the February 15, 2008 substorm event. This will allow us to investigate in detail the influence of magnetic reconnection on the Earth’s dayside magnetosphere. To quantify the impact of different plasma processes on the magnetosphere structure, we model this environment using single fluid ideal MHD, single fluid multispecies MHD, single fluid Hall MHD, multi fluid MHD, and multi-fluid Hall MHD. The simulation run set will use idealized step functions, interpolated, and ACE data as inputs. This comparative study will determine the operating physical processes leading to dayside reconnection.