A statistical study of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global MHD model

The statistics of magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling derived from a two-month long run of the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) global simulation model are investigated. MI coupling characteristics such as polar cap potential and field-aligned current (FAC), downward Poynting flux and vorticity of ionospheric convection are compared with observed statistical averages and with results from the Weimer 05 empirical model. The comparisons for eight different IMF clock-angle orientations show that the LFM model produces reasonably accurate average distributions of the Region I and Region II currents. Both current systems have average amplitudes similar to those observed by the Iridium satellite constellation; however, the average LFM amplitudes are smaller by a factor of two compared with the values from the Weimer 05 model. The comparisons of polar cap potential show that the LFM model produces reasonable patterns of ionospheric convection, but the average cross polar cap potential (CPCP) is greater than the observed results by a factor of approximately 2 and greater than Weimer 05 by a factor of 1.5. The differences in convection in LFM results relative to the Weimer 05 model accounts for much of the difference in the Poynting flux patterns and integrated power produced by the two models. The comparisons of average ionospheric field-aligned vorticity show good agreement on the dayside; however, the LFM model gives higher nightside vorticity which may imply that the ionospheric conductance on the nightside is too small in the simulation.