Multiscale MHD Simulations of the Sun-Earth Connection

Tamas Gombosi
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The talk discusses some important physics issues relevant for numerical MHD simulations of space plasmas. We show how these considerations were implemented in BATS-R-US, a 3D adaptive MHD model developed at the University of Michigan with support from the NASA HPCC ESS project. BATS-R-US is used to examine the magnetospheric topology for northward IMF conditions as well as the impact of a CME on the terrestrial magnetosphere-ionosphere system. In the simulation the evolution and propagation of a CME is followed from the Sun to 1 AU and its interaction with the terrestrial magnetosphere-ionosphere system is calculated. Finally, initial results are shown of the effects of thermospheric winds on the global magnetospheric configuration. This latter simulation is carried out with a coupled BATS-R-US -- TIE-GCM model.