The Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry Magnetosphere Model

LFM

The LFM solves the ideal MHD equations using solar wind as input. The advection term is solved using a Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme using the Partial Donor Method.

The magnetosphere data for the LFM is solved on distorted spherical grid, with grid points clustered near the bowshock and tail. Cell edges are non-orthogonal, so a basic cell is a general hexahedron.

Click here to learn more about a coupled magnetosphere/thermosphere/ionosphere model using the LFM.

An OpenMP version of the LFM was written in FORTRAN 77. This OpenMP version is available as a coupled model with the RCM and TIEGCM as part of CMIT 1.0.

The latest version of the LFM uses MPI to handle message passing. This new version is actively being coupled with the RCM, TIEGCM as part of CMIT 2.0.

Model Output

We visualize the output of the LFM with CISM_DX. Here is an movie we generated with CISM_DX:

This animation shows the magnetosphere visualized with an XY and XZ cutplane and the last closed field lines. As time progresses, the animation zooms in on the Earth's ionosphere, visualizing various ionospheric parameters as the camera shifts into geosynchronous orbit.

Publications

  • Lyon, J G, J A Fedder and C M Mobarry, "The Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) global MHD magnetosphere simulation code", J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys., 66/15-16, 1333-1350, doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2004.03.020, 2004 google scholar
  • Toffoletto, F.R., S. Sazykin, R.W. Spiro, R.A. Wolf and J.G. Lyon, "RCM Meets LFM: Initial Results of One-Way Coupling", J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys., 66/15-16, 1361, 2004
  • Luhmann, J.G., S.C. Solomon, J.A. Linker, J.G. Lyon, Z. Mikic, D. Odstrcil, W. Wang and M. Wiltberger, "Coupled model simulation of a Sun-to-Earth space weather event", J. of Atm. Sol-Terr. Phys., 66, 1243, 2004.
  • Wang, W., M. Wiltberger, A.G. Burns, S.C. Solomon, T.L. Killeen, N. Maruyama, and J.G. Lyon, "Initial Results from the Coupled Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model: Thermosphere-Ionosphere Responses", J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys., 66/15-16, 1425, 2004

Links

High Altitude Observatory - National Center for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000, Foothills Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80307 U.S.A.
303-497-1527
To report errors, please e-mail Peter Schmitt.