LiMIE: Linear Modeling of Ionospheric Electrodynamics from IMF and Solar Wind Data: near-Real Time Space Weather Service

Presented by Vladimir Papitashvili

Space Physics Research Laboratory, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A. (papita@umich.edu, also at the Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark)
 

The LiMIE Web-based interface (http://www.sprl.umich.edu/MIST/spw.html) is capable of instantaneously mapping (i.e., specifying or nowcasting) ionospheric electrodynamics over the polar regions in geographic and/or geomagnetic coordinates. It is also capable of forecasting the ionospheric electromagnetic "space weather" in about an hour ahead from observations made by a spacecraft at L1 point. A number of user-oriented parameters and geomagnetic activity indices can be calculated from the LiMIE output, including auroral (AE, AL, AU) and polar cap (PC) magnetic activity indices, as well as the intensity of ground-induced currents (GIS).

A number of similar approaches are now under development at various institutions. For example, a near-real time AMIE electric potential patterns over the Northern Hemisphere are available from the SWRI Home Page  http://roy.space.swri.edu/amie/ run by Dr. Aaron Ridley. Synoptic modeling of high latitude magnetic activity and equivalent ionospheric and induced currents is suggested by Dr. John Walker (recently retired  from Geological Survey of Canada) - see Home Page http://home.istar.ca/~jwalker/ionosphe.html

The European Space Weather effort should identify and prioritize some necessary steps and/or topics. For example, to identify current spacecraft and future missions related to the "space weather" data acquisition, the "space weather" users and their needs. It is important to identify ionospheric and magnetospheric parameters critical for the "space weather" users. Better understanding of the users’ needs is important for successful transition of available science-based "space weather" models to operation.

NB: See the presentation itself in Adobe Acrobat format.

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