Abstract

During geomagnetic storms and substorms observations in the magnetosphere indicate the presence of Oxygen that has been accelerated out of the ionosphere. Multi-fluid reconnection studies have shown that the presence of Oxygen can dramatically effect the rate at which reconnection occurs. In this... Show moreDuring geomagnetic storms and substorms observations in the magnetosphere indicate the presence of Oxygen that has been accelerated out of the ionosphere. Multi-fluid reconnection studies have shown that the presence of Oxygen can dramatically effect the rate at which reconnection occurs. In this presentation we use the recently developed multi-fluid version of the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global magnetospheric simulation to model the impacts of outflowing ionospheric oxygen on the magnetosphere. In order to quantify the effects of this outflow we model it as a patch in the ionosphere of a specific size, location, and magnitude. By varying each of these parameters independently we will examine how it impacts the strength and location of reconnection within the magnetosphere. We will pay particular attention to the effects this outflow has on the occurrence of substorms within the idealized simulations. We will conclude with a few remarks on the next steps required to include a more accurate model for ionospheric outflow. Show less