Default Options in Visualization Forms

List of Forms:

1-D Data Visualization CGI Form

Parameters in the 1D data visualization CGI form

  • Plot Range: range of independent coordinate in file (usually "Time" or "Radius")
  • Plot Options:
    • Image Magnification: default is 1, image can be shrunk (0.75) or enlarged (factors of 1.25, 1.5, or 2).
    • Log Scale apply logarithmic scaling to all non-negative quantities.
    • Lock plot data range Fix vertical scale (one scale applies to all quantities)
    • Line Style Connect Plot Symbols with line of selected type.
      Multiple quantities plotted at the same time will be rendered in different colors.
    • Plot Symbols Plot Symbols at data positions.
    • Symbol Size Plot Symbols at data positions with specified size (relative to a default character size in plot).

3-D Data Visualization CGI Form

Parameters in the 3D data visualization CGI form

  • Data time: last available time in minutes ([days from start day plus] UT if given in [d:]hh:mm:ss.ssss)Increment Time: disabled if enabled, number of datasets: -1 (step back one dataset)Plot Mode: Color Contour, see explanations of the PlotMode options

Plot Options:

  • Exclude Region Around Earth: enabled, radius set to 6 Earth radii (RE), good for excluding steep increase of quantities, such as magnetic field or invalid data (typically within or near inner boundary of MHD at 3-5 RE).Allow variable plot image size: disabled, if enabled, plot image will adjust to show properly scaled x and z axes (data aspect ratio limited to 0.3<dx/dz <4).Show Simulation Grid: disabled, add the mesh used for computations if enabled.Interpolate Data: enabled, interpolate vector quantities onto regular grid before plotting arrows. Interpolate data does not apply to surface or contour plots.

Plot Options for selected Plot Modes:
All plots with 3D box: 3D Surface, 3D-Flowlines

  • AX: elevation angle of the location the observer looks onto a 3D plot (applies to 3D plots such as Surface or Multicont9).AZ: azimuthal orientation angle of the location the observer looks from onto a 3D plot.

All ColorCountour plots:

  • Lock Color Scale: disabled, if enabled, the user can specify the data range of the color scale applied to a Color Contour plot. The user may keep the specified range over subsequent plots (e.g. in a time series).

All Vector plots:

  • Length of Arrows: default is 1 (arrows have largest size that will not cause overlap), select larger (smaller) arrows to see vectors in regions where the vector variable is small (large).

3D-Flowlines:

  • Flowline Setup Mode designates start point positions of flow lines in selected box. Default: predefined in 3D - evenly spaced along X in middle of lateral faces of box (YMIN,YMAX,ZMIN,ZMAX) for B, equidistant grid for in plane at XMAX for velocity V. see 3D-Flowlines section in plotmode documentations

All plots:

  • Choose Plot Area: default: entire simulation box; user can reduce region to look at.
    Coordinates (X1,Y1,Z1, and X2,Y2,Z2) refer to the upper right and lower left corner of plot area (Line plot: start end end position of straight line).Choose Cut Plane default is Y=constant - vertical cut at Y=0 through middle of simulation box; The user can select X-constant to see magnetotail cross-sections (for X<0) or Z-constant to get a horizontal cut through the plasma sheet (Z=0).

Ionosphere Data Visualization CGI Form

Parameters in the ionosphere plot CGI form

  • Data time: last available time in minutes ([days plus] UT if given in [d:]hh:mm:ss.ssss)Increment Time: disabled if enabled; # of datasets: -1 (step back one dataset)Plot Mode: default "Earth View", see explanations of the PlotMode options

Plot Options:

  • Show Simulation Grid: disabled, enabled plots the mesh used for computations.Interpolate Data: enabled, interpolate vector quantities onto regular grid before plotting arrows. Interpolate data does not apply to surface or contour plots.

Plot Options for selected Plot Modes:

  • AX: elevation angle of the location the observer looks onto a 3D plot (applies to "3D" plots such as "Surface" or "Earthview").AZ: azimuthal orientation angle of the location the observer looks from onto a 3D plot.Lock Color Scale: disabled, if enabled, the user can specify the data range of the color scale applied to a "Color Contour" plot. The user may keep the specified range over subsequent plots (e.g. in a time series).Length of Arrows: default is 1 (arrows have largest size that will not cause overlap), select larger (smaller) arrows to see vectors in regions where the vector variable is small (large).Choose Plot Area: default: entire simulation area; user can reduce region to look at.

Weimer Data Visualization CGI Form

Weimer form 'run_weimer.cgi'

This is a CCMC-3DView IDL visualization version:
Weimer model plots appear in the same format as all other (ionosphere) models' plots.

The available versions of the Weimer model run instantly and do not require a run request.
Inputs to the model contain the time or Earth dipole tilt angle and selected solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field inputs. The electric potential pattern and the field-aligned currents (FAC), if available, in the polar ionosphere are determined from a database of satellite measurements.

The interface for the Weimer model contains six sections:

1. Weimer model version selection Three versions are currently available:

  • Weimer-2K (original version delivered to CCMC)
  • Weimer-2K_2 (Weimer-2K, release 2; version includes a FAC model and was used for metrics studies)
  • Weimer-2005

2. Earth System Input Parameters:

  • Use Date enter date of model prediction (format: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm)
  • Select tilt of Earth's dipole: instead of using a date, the user can specify the tilt directly (within the valid range of tilts encountered at Earth).
    With Use Date activated, the corresponding tilt will be returned into the text field as a default for the next plot.

3. Solar Wind Input Parameters:

  • Specify |B|, angle enter strength of IMF transverse to Vxand IMF clock angle (defaults: |B|=5, angle=180°.) or
  • Specify By and Bz components (defaults: By=0, Bz=-5).
  • Plasma velocity V: (default: V=400 km/s)
  • Plasma Density N: (default: N=5 protons/cm3)

Defaults for the solar wind and IMF values represent average conditions. Limits implemented denote what can reasonable be expected in the solar wind. The model, however may have additional limitations.
NOTE: A combination of several extreme selections (large values together, e.g., N=100, V=1100km, and Bz=-60), although permitted, provides model output for illustration only.

4. Display Parameters

  • Quantities Q1 and Q2: Available are PHI (electric potential in kV) and FAC (field-aligned currents in μAm-2)
  • Plot Mode (parameters applicable to the plot modes appear in the form below):
    • ColorContour:(default) render single Color Contour Plot of Q1 for given solar wind and IMF conditions
    • Color+Contour plots contour plo of Q2 on top of color contour plot of Q1
    • Geo-ColorContour Use geographic (not magnetic) coordinates for ColorContour plot.
    • Geo-Color+Contour Use geographic (not magnetic) coordinates for Color+Contour plot.
  • Image magnification (default: 1.0) resize image by up to factor 2.
  • Fix Contour Range (applies ot Q1 in Color Contour plot only)
    • Number of levels, nlevels, denotes number of color levels greater than 0. The color contour plot will be rendered in a symmetric color scale containing 2*nlevels+1 colors.
    • Level Interval set interval for PHI in kV or interval for FAC in μAm-2. Plot range will be from -(nlevels+0.5)(level interval) to +(nlevels+0.5)(level interval), e.g., from -55 kV to 55 kV for nlevels=5 and level interval of 10 kV. White or black areas indicate values outside of the fixed plot range.
  • Minimum Latitude (default: 50 deg.) - restrict area to region around poles (north and south of latitude given for respective hemisphere).

5. Display Options

  • use Al index Al index is optional (default if used: -500nT)
  • plot hemispheres: select one of:
    • plot both hemispheres (default)
    • plot northern hemisphere
    • plot southern hemisphere

6. List data (activated by checking button):

  • At positions specified (default selection): enter latitudes and local times (one number for each position)
  • List data from plot: Obtain gridded output of quantities as they appear in plot.

Other Notes

Flow line tracing from satellites and magnetic field tracing from magnetometer stations

The CCMC visualization in IDL now features magnetic mapping from magnetometer stations on the ground into the magnetosphere and the determination of conjugate points in the other hemisphere.
Satellites in the magnetosphere can now be tracked and magnetic foot points be shown in the ionosphere.
Depending on the magnetic topology in the magnetosphere there might be a conjugate point of a station location on the ground or in case of satellites in the magnetosphere there might be zero, one or two foot points on the ground that magnetically map to the satellite position.

What does this feature provide for different types of plots?

  • Contour plots in magnetosphere:
    Magnetic field lines that emanate from selected satellites or stations that intersect the cut plane are identified at the intersection by the respective (abbreviated) satellite name or station ID.
  • Contour plots in ionosphere:
    Foot points of field lines connecting to satellites in the magnetosphere are shown for 2D (color) contour plots.
    Locations of stations on the ground and (if applicable) magnetically conjugate positions are shown.
  • 3D flow lines in magnetosphere:
    Field lines emanating from selected satellites and stations will be displayed in addition to user-selected field lines.

How can one request magnetic mappings from satellites and stations?

  • Satellites:
    The list of available satellites is determined by the satellite trajectories that were entered during run submission.
  • Stations:
    Locations of stations may be requested in the "special request" field at the end of a run submission.
    Please provide the 3-4 letter ID (e.g. "GILL" for Gillam) and geographic location (e.g., "geo_lon=245.518", "geo_lat=62.483") of the station.

List of stations available at SSCWEB:
Code Name Geo-Lat. Geo-Lon. Mag-Lat. Mag-Lon. (magnetic coordinates as of 2005)