Implementation of Ionospheric Generators in the Numerical Model of the Global Electric Circuit

Abstract

The consistent inclusion of global electric circuit sources of ionospheric and magnetospheric origin in distributed numerical models of the circuit is discussed. It is shown that the most natural approach to this inclusion is to introduce into the boundary conditions at the outer boundary of the model atmosphere the corresponding perturbation of the potential specified up to an unknown constant. As an example of the implementation of this approach, the solution of a model problem on a high-latitude magnetospheric convective generator with the use of a three-dimensional numerical model of the global electric circuit is demonstrated. It is shown that the specified potential perturbation in polar regions is projected into the lower layers of the atmosphere with preservation of their structure, which is a consequence of the quasi-one-dimensionality of the problem under the conditions of slow variation in all parameters with latitude and longitude at an approximately constant profile of conductivity.