The Solar Wind with Hydrogen Ion Exchange and Large-scale Dynamics (SHIELD) Code: A Self-consistent Kinetic–Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Outer Heliosphere

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Abstract Neutral hydrogen has been shown to greatly impact the plasma flow in the heliosphere and the location of the heliospheric boundaries. We present the results of the Solar Wind with Hydrogen Ion Exchange and Large-scale Dynamics (SHIELD) model, a new, self-consistent, kinetic–MHD model of the outer heliosphere within the Space Weather Modeling Framework. The charge exchange mean free path is on the order of the size of the heliosphere; therefore, the neutral atoms cannot be described as a fluid. The numerical code SHIELD couples the MHD solution for a single plasma fluid to the kinetic solution for neutral hydrogen atoms streaming through the system. The kinetic code is based on the Adaptive Mesh Particle Simulator, a Monte Carlo method for solving the Boltzmann equation. The numerical code SHIELD accurately predicts the increased filtration of interstellar neutrals into the heliosphere. In order to verify the correct implementation within the model, we compare the results of the numerical code SHIELD to those of other, well-established kinetic–MHD models. The numerical code SHIELD matches the neutral hydrogen solution of these studies as well as the shift in all heliospheric boundaries closer to the Sun in comparison with the multi-fluid treatment of neutral hydrogen atoms. Overall the numerical code SHIELD shows excellent agreement with these models and is a significant improvement to the fluid treatment of interstellar hydrogen.