SAMI3 Low-to-Mid-Latitude Ionosphere

Model Developer(s)
Joseph Huba, Glenn Joyce, Marc Swisdak
Plasma Physics Div., Naval Research Laboratory and Icarus Research, Inc.

Model Description
SAMI3 (Sami3 is Also a Model of the Ionosphere) is three-dimensional global ionospheric model based on the two-dimensional model SAMI2 [Huba et al., 2000, 2008]. The SAMI3 calculates the plasma and chemical evolution of seven ion species (H⁺, He⁺, N⁺, O⁺, NO⁺, N₂⁺ and O₂⁺) in the altitude range 85 km to 20,000 km. The ion temperature equation is solved for three ion species (H⁺, He⁺, and O⁺) as well as the electron temperature equation. Ion inertia is included in the ion momentum equation for motion along the geomagnetic field. An offset, tilted dipole geomagnetic field is used, and the plasma is modeled from hemisphere to hemisphere. High altitude boundary conditions are not needed since a complete ionospheric flux tube is modeled. In addition, the E x B drift motion of the plasma is included for both zonal electric fields (vertical drifts) and meridional electric fields (zonal drifts). The neutral composition and temperature are provided by NRLMSISE00 model and the neutral winds are obtained from the HWM models. SAMI3 uses a unique, nonorthogonal, nonuniform, fixed grid.

Model Input

• Value of F10.7 (1 day and 3 months average).
• AP Index
• ExB Drift velocity

Model Output

• ion density
• ion temperature
• ion velocity
• electron temperature
• NmF2
• hmF2
• TEC (Total Electron Content)

References and relevant publications

• Huba, J. D., G. Joyce, and J. Krall (2008), Three-dimensional equatorial spread F modeling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L10102, doi:10.1029/2008GL033509.
• Huba, J.D., K.F. Dymond, G. Joyce, S.A. Budzien, S.E. Thonnard, J.A. Fedder, and R.P. McCoy, Comparison of O+ density from ARGOS LORASS data analysis and SAMI2 model results, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, 10.1029/2001GL013089, 2002.
• Huba, J.D., G. Joyce, and J.A. Fedder, Sami2 is Another Model of the Ionosphere (SAMI2): A new low-latitude ionosphere model, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 23,035, 2000.
• Huba, J.D., G. Joyce, and J.A. Fedder, The formation of an electron hole in the topside equatorial ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 181, 2000.
• Huba, J.D., G. Joyce, and J.A. Fedder, Ion sound waves in the topside low latitude ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 3181, 2000

Relevant links
SAMI2 Website

CCMC Contact(s)

301-286-4040

Developer Contact(s)

202-767-6863

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