Ionospheric Modeling: Coupling to the Inner and Outer Magnetosphere

The Naval Research Laboratory has developed a comprehensive 3D model of the earth's ionosphere: SAMI3 (Sami3 is Another a Model of the Ionosphere). SAMI3 models the plasma and chemical evolution of seven ion species (H+, He+, N+, O+, N2+, NO2+ and O2+). The complete ion temperature equation is solved for three ion species (H+, He+ and O+) as well as the electron temperature equation. Ion inertia is included in the ion momentum equation for motion along the geomagnetic field. In addition, the E × B drift motion of the plasma is included for both zonal electric fields (vertical drifts) and meridional electric fields (zonal drifts). The neutral species are specified using the empirical NRLMSISE00 model that is based on MSIS86 and the HWM model. SAMI3 uses a nonorthogonal, nonuniform, fixed grid. The code has been recently upgraded to provide global coverage of the ionosphere (± 89° magnetic latitude) within the context of a single model. The code has been self-consistently electrodynamically coupled to the Rice Convection Model (RCM) and to the Lyon/Fedder/Mobarry (LFM) magnetosphere model. We report results of ionospheric dynamics associated with electrodynamic forcing by the inner and outer magnetosphere, e.g., the convection of plasma across the polar cap, the impact of storm-time penetration electric fields on the low- to mid-latitude ionosphere, and sub-auroral polarization streams. Research supported by ONR and NASA.