Computational Considerations in Modeling the Space Environment

Physics-based models of the space environment provide valuable information on the processes that occur. Gross understanding of the basic properties of environment can be made with simplified models, such as 1- and 2-dimensional spatial codes, or codes that make assumptions about the system that reduces the computational burden. This talk will discuss some of the various compromises that are typically made in modeling different regions of the space environment, such as the ionosphere, inner magnetosphere, outer magnetosphere, and the solar corona, for the sake of run-time. The parallelization of codes and the increased physics that this enables will further be discussed. Finally, new computational technologies that reduce the run-time of simulations will be touched upon.