Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inner Magnetospheric Modeling with the Rice Convection Model

  • Chapter
Advances in Space Environment Research

Abstract

The Rice Convection Model (RCM) is an established physical model of the inner and middle magnetosphere that includes coupling to the ionosphere. It uses a many-fluid formalism to describe adiabatically drifting isotropic particle distributions in a self-consistently computed electric field and specified magnetic field. We review a long-standing effort at Rice University in magnetospheric modeling with the Rice Convection Model. After briefly describing the basic assumptions and equations that make up the core of the RCM, we present a sampling of recent results using the model. We conclude with a brief description of ongoing and future improvements to the RCM.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Birmingham, T. J.: 1992, ‘Birkeland Currents in an anisotropic, magnetostatic plasma’, J. Geo-phys. Res. 97, 3907–3917.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C.-K., Wolf, R. A., Harel, M. and Karty, J. L.: 1982, ‘Theoretical Magnetograms Based on Quantitative Simulation of a Magnetospheric Substorm’, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 6137.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C. Z.: 1995, ‘Three-dimensional Magnetospheric Equilibrium with Isotropic Pressure’, Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 2401–2404.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chodura, R. and Schlüter, A.: 1981, ‘A 3D Code for MHD Equilibrium and Stability’, J. Comp. Phys. 41, 68–88.

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Costello, K. A.: 1997, Moving the Rice MSFM Into a Real-time Forecast Mode Using Solar Wind Driven Forecast Modules, PhD Thesis, Rice University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, G. M., Spiro, R. W. and Wolf, R. A.: 1991, ‘The Physics of the Harang Discontinuity’, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 1633–1645.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, G. M.: 1992, ‘A Quasi-static Magnetospheric Convection Model in Two Dimensions’, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 6505–6522.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fejer, B. G., Spiro, R. W., Wolf, R. A. and Foster, J. C.: 1990, ‘Latitudinal Variation of Perturbation Electric Fields During Magnetically Disturbed Periods: 1986 SUNDIAL Observations and Model Results’, Ann. Geophys. 8, 441–454.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fok, M.-C., Wolf, R. A., Spiro, R. W. and Moore, T. E.: 2001, Comprehensive Computational Model of Earth’s Ring Current’, J. Geophys. Res. 106, No. A5, 8417–8424.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, J. C. and Vo, H. B.: 2002, ‘Average Characteristics and Activity Dependence of the Subauroral Polarization Stream’, J. Geophys. Res., in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galperin, Y. I., Ponomarev, V. N. and Zosimova, A. G.: 1973, ‘Direct Measurements of Ion Drift Velocity in the Upper Atmosphere During a Magnetic Storm’, Cosmic Res. 11, 273–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galperin, Y. I., Ponomarev, V N. and Zosimova, A. G.: 1974, ‘Plasma Convection in Polar Ionosphere’, Ann. Geophys. 4A, 301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, J., Sandel, B. R., Forrester, W. T. and Reiff, P. H.: 2002, ‘IMF-driven Plasmasphere Erosion of 10 July 2000’, Geophys. Res. Lett. (submitted Oct.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Harel, M., Wolf, R. A., Reiff, P. H., Spiro, R. W., Burke, W. J., Rich, F. J. and Smiddy, M.: 1981a, ‘Quantitative Simulation of a Magnetospheric Substorm 1, Model Logic and Overview’, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 2217–2241.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Harel, M., Wolf, R. A., Spiro, R. W., Reiff, P. H., Chen, C.-K., Burke, W. J., Rich, F. J. and Smiddy, M.: 1981b, ‘Quantitative Simulation of a Magnetospheric Substorm 2, Comparison With Observations’, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 2242–2260.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hau, L.-N.: 1991, ‘Rffects of Steady State Adiabatic Convection on the Configuration of the Near-Rarth Plasma Sheet, 2’, J. Geophys. Res. 96, 5591–5596.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinemann, M. and Pontius, D. H., Jr.: 1990, ‘Representations of Currents and Magnetic Fields in Isotropic, Magnetohydrostatic Plasma’, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 251–257.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Heppner, J. P. and Maynard, N. C.: 1987, ‘Rmpirical High-latitude Rlectric Field Models’, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 4467–4489.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hesse, M. and Birn, J.: 1992, ‘Three-dimensional MHD Modeling of Magnetotail Dynamics for Different Polytropic Indices’, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 3965.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hesse, M. and Birn, J.: 1993, ‘Three-dimensional Magnetotail Rquilibria by Numerical Relaxation Techniques’, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 3973–3982.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hilmer, R. V. and Voigt, G.-H.: 1995, ‘A Magnetospheric Magnetic Field Model with Flexible Current Systems Driven by Independent Physical Parameters’, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 5613–5626.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaggi, R. K. and Wolf, R. A.: ‘Self-consistent Calculation of the Motion of a Sheet of Ions in the Magnetosphere’, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 2842.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karty, J. L., Chen, C.-K., Wolf, R. A., Harel, M. and Spiro, R. W.: 1982, ‘Modeling of High-latitude Currents in a Substorm’, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 777.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, M. C.: 1989, The Earth’s Ionosphere, Academic Press, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, C., Tololetto, F., Hesse, M. and Birn, J.: 2002, ‘Computing Global Magnetospheric Force Equilibria using MHD’, J. Geophys. Res. (submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, X., Roth, I., Temerin, M., Wygant, J. R., Hudson, M. K. and Blake, J. B.: 1993, ‘Simulation of the Prompt Rnergization and Transport of Radiation Belt Particles During the March 24, 1991 SSC’, Geophys. Res. Lett. 20, 2423–2426.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lui, A. T. Y., Meng, C.-I. and Ismail, S.: 1982, ‘Large Amplitude Undulations on the Rquatorward Boundary of the Diffuse Aurora’, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 2385.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Northrop, T. G.: 1963, The Adiabatic Motion of Charged Particles, J. Wiley and Sons, New York.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Pontius, D. H., Jr., Wolf, R. A., Hill, T. W., Yang, Y. S. and Smyth, W. H.: 1996, ‘Velocity Shear Impoundment of the Io Plasma Torus’, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 23,551.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchett, P. L. and Coroniti, F. V.: 1998, Formation of Thin Current Sheets During Convection’, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 19935–19946.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, R. M., Vondrak, R. R., Miller, K., Dabbs, T. and Hardy, D.: 1987, ‘On Calculating Ionospheric Conductances from the Flux and Rnergy of Precipitating Rlectrons’, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 2565–2569.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Roederer, J. G.: 1970, Dynamics of Geomagnetically Trapped Radiation, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sazykin, S.: 2000, Theoretical Studies of Penetration of Magnetospheric Electric Fields to the Ionosphere, PhD Dissertation, University of Utah.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sazykin, S., Wolf, R. A., Spiro, R. W., Gombosi, T. I., De Zeeuw, D. L. and Thomsen, M. R: 2002, ‘Interchange Instability in the Inner Magnetosphere Associated with Geosynchronous Particle Ux Decreases’, Geophys. Res. Lett. 10, 1029/2001GL014416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiles, G. S., Hones, R. W., Bame, S. J. and Asbridge, J. R.: 1978, ‘Plasma Sheet Pressure Anisotropics’, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 3166–3172.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Southwood, D. J. and Wolf, R. A.: 1978, ‘IAn Assessment of the Role of Precipitation in Magnetospheric Convection’, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 5227.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Spence, H. R., Kivelson, M. G., Walker, R. J. and McComas, D. J.: 1989, ‘Magnetospheric Plasma Pressures in the Midnight Meridian: Observations from 2.5 to 35 R E ’, J. Geophys. Res. 94, 5264–5272.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiro, R. W., Heelis, R. A. and Hanson, W. B.: 1978, ‘Ion Convection and the Formation of the Midlatitude F Region Ionization Trough’, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 4255.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiro, R. W., Harel, M., Wolf, R. A. and Reiff, P. H.: 1981, ‘Quantitative Simulation of a Mag-netospheric Substorm, 3, Plasmaspheric Electric Fields and Evolution of the Plasmapause’, J. Geophys. Res. 86, 2261–2272.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiro, R. W., Wolf, R. A. and Fejer, B. G.: 1988, ‘Penetration of High-latitude-electric-field Effects to Low Latitudes During SUNDIAL 1984’, Ann. Geophys. 6, 39–50.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Spiro, R. W. and Wolf, R. A.: 1984, ‘Electrodynamics of Convection in the Inner Magnetosphere’, in T. A. Potemra (ed.), Magneto spheric Currents, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 247.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. P.: 1970, ‘Euler Potentials’, Am. J. Phys. 38, 494–501.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. P.: 1975, ‘The Motion of a Proton in the Equatorial Magnetosphere’, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 595–599.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletto, F. R., Spiro, R. W., Wolf, R. A., Hesse, M. and Birn, J.: 1996, ‘Self-consistent Modeling of Inner Magnetospheric Convection’, in E. J. Rolfe and B. Kaldeich (eds.), Third International Conference on Substorms (ICS-3), ESA Publications Division, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, pp. 223–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletto, F. R., Birn, J., Hesse, M., Spiro, R. W. and Wolf, R. A.: 2001, ‘Modeling Inner Magnetospheric Electrodynamics’, in P. Song, H. Singer and G. Siscoe (eds.), Space Weather, Geophysical Monograph Series, 125, p. 265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsyganenko, N. A.: 1989, ‘A Magnetospheric Magnetic Field Model with a Warped Tail Current Sheet’, Planet. Space Sci. 37, 5–20.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Vasyliunas, V. M.: 1970, ‘Mathematical Models of Magnetospheric Convection and its Coupling to the Ionosphere’, in B.m. McCormac (ed.), Particles and Fields in the Magnetosphere, D. Reidel, Hingham, MA, Hingham, MA, pp. 60–71.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Volland, H. A.: 1973, ‘A Semiempirical Model of Large-scale Magnetospheric Electric Fields’, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 171–180.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, R. A.: 1970, ‘Effects of Ionospheric Conductivity on Convective Flows of Plasma in the Magnetosphere’, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 4677–4698.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, R. A., Harel, M., Spiro, R. W., Voigt, G.-H., Reiff, P. H. and Chen, C. K.: 1982, ‘Computer Simulation of Inner Magnetospheric Dynamics for the Magnetic Storm of July 29, 1977’, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 5949–5962.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, R. A.: 1983, ‘The Quasi-static (Slow-flow) Region of the Magnetosphere’, in R. L. Carovillano and J. M. Forbes (eds.), Solar Terrestrial Physics, Series, D. Reidel, Hingham, MA, pp. 303–368.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, R. A., Spiro, R. W. and Rich, F. J.: 1991, ‘Extension of the Rice Convection Model into the high-latitude ionosphere, J. Atm. Terrest. Phys. 53, 817–829.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Y. S., Spiro, R. W. and Wolf, R. A.: 1994, ‘Generation of Region-1 Current by Magnetospheric Pressure Gradients’, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 223–234.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Y. S., Wolf, R. A., Spiro, R. W., Hill, T. W. and Dessler, A. J.: 1994, ‘Numerical Simulation of Torus-driven Plasma Transport in the Jovian Magnetosphere’, J. Geophys. Res. 99, 8755–8770.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA

    Frank Toffoletto, Stanislav Sazykin, Robert Spiro & Richard Wolf

Authors
  1. Frank Toffoletto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stanislav Sazykin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Spiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Richard Wolf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. World Institute for Space Environment Research - WISER, University of Adelaide, Australia

    A. C.-L. Chian

  2. INPE, Brazil

    A. C.-L. Chian

  3. University of Sydney, Australia

    I. H. Cairns

  4. University of Southampton, UK

    S. B. Gabriel

  5. FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics, Netherlands

    J. P. Goedbloed

  6. Kyushu University, Japan

    T. Hada

  7. Space Research Institute, Austria

    M. Leubner

  8. Institute for Chemical and Physical Processes/CNR, Italy

    L. Nocera

  9. University of New South Wales, Australia

    R. Stening

  10. Rice University, USA

    F. Toffoletto

  11. Indian Institute of Science, India

    C. Uberoi

  12. University of Chile, Chile

    J. A. Valdivia

  13. University of L’Aquila, Italy

    U. Villante

  14. University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

    C.-C. Wu

  15. National Astronomical Observatories, China

    Y. Yan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Toffoletto, F., Sazykin, S., Spiro, R., Wolf, R. (2003). Inner Magnetospheric Modeling with the Rice Convection Model. In: Chian, A.CL., et al. Advances in Space Environment Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1069-6_19

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1069-6_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3781-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1069-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation