Two-way self-consistent coupling of HEIDI in SWMF

In this study we present results from the two-way coupling between the kinetic Hot Electron and Ion Drift Integrator (HEIDI) model and the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). HEIDI solves the time dependent, gyration and bounced averaged kinetic equation for the phase space density of different ring current species and computes full pitch angle distributions for all local times and radial distances. This model was generalized to accommodate an arbitrary magnetic field and, through the coupling with SWMF, it obtains the magnetic field description along with the plasma distribution at the model boundaries from the Block Adaptive Tree Solar Wind Roe Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model within the SWMF. Electric field self-consistency is assured by the passing of convection potentials from the Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM) within SWMF. Our study tests the various levels of coupling between the 3 models, highlighting the roles that the magnetic field, plasma sheet conditions and the cross polar cap potential play in the formation and evolution of the ring current. The results of the self-consistent coupling between HEIDI, BATSRUS and RIM during disturbed conditions emphasize the importance of a kinetic self-consistent approach to the description of the geospace.