Comparison of self‐consistent simulations with observed magnetic field and ion plasma parameters in the ring current during the 10 August 2000 magnetic storm

Abstract

We assess whether magnetically and electrically self‐consistent ring current simulations can account simultaneously for in situ magnetic field and ion flux measurements in the inner magnetosphere during the large 10 August 2000 storm (min Dst = −107 nT). We use the Rice Convection Model–Equilibrium (RCM‐E) and drive it with time‐dependent magnetic field, electric field, and plasma boundary conditions that are guided by empirical and assimilative models. Comparisons of the simulated and observed magnetic field from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and observed proton differential flux spectra from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) satellites are made at geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Similarly, simulated and observed magnetic field and proton density and temperature are compared along the orbit of Polar (r ∼ 1.8–9 RE) for the event. The simulated and observed magnetic field components agree reasonably well at GEO and along the orbit of Polar. However, since the effects of substorm dipolarizations are not explicitly modeled, the simulation fails to reproduce observed sawtooth fluctuations in the magnetic field. Over energies from 1 to 150 keV, the RCM‐E reproduced well the ion dispersion features in the LANL 1994‐084 ion differential flux spectra over energies at GEO and proton densities and temperatures calculated from Polar proton flux measurements. Thus, the RCM‐E simulations can account simultaneously for in situ magnetic field and ion flux measurements for the 10 August 2000 storm. This demonstrates that a self‐consistent model can produce realistic features of the storm time inner magnetosphere.