Estimating magnetospheric currents and geoeffectiveness of
interplanetary CMEs with magnetohydrodynamic simulations
Abstract
The high energetic plasma and the embedded magnetic field of coronal
mass ejections interact with planetary magnetospheres giving rise to
transient perturbations such as geomagnetic storms. Predicting the
geomagnetic impact of such interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME)
is of utmost importance for the protection of our technological
infrastructure that is affected by space weather. We use 3D compressible
magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a star-planet system to model and
study an ICME-Earth interaction event of 20th November 2003. In the
modelled interaction, we observe a change in magnetopause shape and
stand-off distance on ICME impact, day and night side reconnections and
induction of high currents in the magnetosphere. We also notice the
formation of a ring of strong equatorial current around the Earth,
leading to a reduction of the geomagnetic field. We calculate the
simulated reduction in the magnetic field and compare that to the
observed geomagnetic indices in order to establish a predictive approach
for geomagnetic storms. These simulations are expected to illuminate the
physical processes that result in space weather impacts of stellar
magnetic storms in planetary and exoplanetary systems.