Review of Global Simulation Studies of Effect of Ionospheric Outflow on Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System Dynamics

This chapter focuses on the efforts of three groups, Winglee, space weather modeling framework (SWMF), and MultiFluid Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (MFLFM), using multifluid simulations to study the impacts of polar wind outflow on the evolution of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. First, it presents the techniques used by each group to conduct modeling of the impacts of ionospheric outflows on the geospace system. It then describes the forms of the multifluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations each group uses as well as the numerical techniques employed by their simulations. The chapter also discusses the methods each group uses to include ionospheric outflow in their simulations. In conclusion, it is clear that fully coupled global-scale simulations that include both electrodynamic coupling and outflow are proving to be excellent tools for addressing fundamental questions about the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system.