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.
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.