Spacecraft plasma environment analysis via large scale 3D plasma particle simulation

Abstract

Geospace environment simulator (GES) has started as one of the advanced computing research projects at the Earth Simulator Center in Japan Marine Science and Technology Center since 2002: [1]. By using this computing resource, a large scale simulation which reproduces a realistic physical model can be utilized not only for studying the geospace environment but also for various human activities in space. GES project aims to reproduce fully kinetic environment around a spacecraft by using the 3-dimensional full-particle electromagnetic simulation code which could include spacecraft model inside (NuSPACE). NuSPACE can model interaction between space plasma and a spacecraft by the unstructuredgrid 3D plasma particle simulation code embedded in the NuSPACE. We will report current status of the project and our concept of achieving the spacecraft environment in conjunction with the space weather. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008.