Output Files
Post-processing
Output Files
Most output file names are generated as "$RUN.$TYPE.$TIME". The suffix indicates the output time in seconds since the start of the run (in real time).
The raw output files contain headers and store values ith truncated precision in an ASCII encoded and run-length compressed format. Each file contains several variables.
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Magnetosphere Outputs
Magnetosphere outputs include 3d fields of magnetic field, electric field, plasma density, flow velocity vector, and temperature or pressure and 2D fields of the same quantities at prescribed planes (this allows for much higher cadence).
MHD grid:
The grid information is stored in '$RUN.grid', also ASCII encoded, and '$RUN.grid2', which is plain ASCII. There are at a minimum 3 fields, 'gridx', 'gridy', and 'gridz', that contain the coordinates in RE. This file is needed by almost any analysis program. There is also a file '$RUN.smf' that contains the grid and several other parameters of the run. This file is also used by many programs and should be in the current directory. A small program called 'smf' can be used to extract parameters or the grid. Both '$RUN.grid' and '$RUN.smf' are produced in the pre-compilation phase.
The file types include:
- '3df': The 3d fields of magnetospheric variables.
- 'px_NNN': The 2d fields of magnetospheric variables at a given value of x=NNN, where NNN is in units of 0.1 RE.
- 'py_NNN': The 2d fields of magnetospheric variables at a given value of y=NNN, where NNN is in units of 0.1 RE.
- 'pz_NNN': The 2d fields of magnetospheric variables at a given value of z=NNN, where NNN is in units of 0.1 RE.
The variables include:
- pp : Plasma pressure [pPa] (=10**-12 Pa)
- rr : Plasma number density [cm**-3]
- vx : Plasma velocity, x-component [km/s]
- vy : Plasma velocity, y-component [km/s]
- vz : Plasma velocity, z-component [km/s]
- bx : Magnetic field, x-component [nT]
- by : Magnetic field, y-component [nT]
- bz : Magnetic field, x-component [nT]
- xjx : Current density, x-component [micro-A/m**2]
- xjy : Current density, y-component [micro-A/m**2]
- xjy : Current density, z-component [micro-A/m**2]
- resis : Plasma resistivity [ohm-m]
If the RCM is included in the run, the following variables are added:
- rcmpp : RCM Plasma pressure [pPa] (=10**-12 Pa)
- rcmrr : RCM Plasma number density [cm**-3]
- rcmmask : RCM feedback mask
Note that the vector quantities are in "MHD" coordinates, i.e., MHD_x = - GSE_x and MHD_y = - GSE_y, MHD_z = + GSE_z.
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Ionosphere Outputs
Ionosphere outputs include field aligned currents, potential, Hall and Pedersen conductance, e- precipitation energy flux and mean energy.
When CTIM is used, outputs also include 3D fields of various e-, ion, and neutral parameters: Ne, NfM2, hFm2, winds, ion/neutral temperature, N/O ratio, etc.
Ionosphere grid:
The ionosphere grid spans the entire sphere on a spherical grid. Arrays are stored as a(ip,it), where the ip coordinate is longitude in SM coordinates from -180 degrees (midnight, 24MLT) going eastward (increasing MLT) to 180 degrees and the it coordinate is magnetic co-latitude starting from the magnetic north pole. The ionosphere grid dimensions are usually 181x361, i.e., 5 degrees in longitude resolution and 0.5 degrees in latitude.
The file types include:
- 'iof': The 2d fields of ionospheric variables.
- 'ioc': 2d and 3d fields from CTIM. These include in particlular electron, ion, and neutral densities, winds, etc.
The major variables are:
- pot : Potential [V]
- pacurr : Field Aligned Current (FAC) density [micro-A/m**2] (positive down)
- sigh : Hall conductance [S]
- sigp : Pedersen conductance [S]
- prec_e_fe_1 : diffuse auroral e- precipitation energy flux [W/m**2]
- prec_e_fe_2 : discrete auroral e- precipitation energy flux [W/m**2]
- prec_e_e0_1 : diffuse auroral precipitation, mean energy [eV]
- prec_e_e0_2 : discrete auroral precipitation, mean energy [eV]
- delphi : Knight potential [V]
- ppio : mapped pressure [pPa]
- rrio : mapped density [cm**-3]
- ttio : mapped temperature [K]
- fac_dyn : dynamo FAC from CTIM [A/m**2]
- fac_tot : total FAC [A/m**2]
- xjh : Joule heating rate [W/m**2]
- delbt : Ground magnetic H perturbation [nT]
- epio : azimuthal electric field [mV/m]
- etio : meridional electric field [mV/m]
If the RCM is included in the run, the following variables are added:
- prec_e_rcm : RCM diffuse auroral e- precipitation energy flux (after SIGDIF_FAK_RCM) [W/m**2]
- prec_e_eo_rcm : RCM diffuse auroral precipitation, mean energy (after SIGDIF_FAK2_RCM) [eV]
- fac_rcm : RCM-calculated FAC [A/m**2]
If the RCM diffuse precipitation is selected to be used, the following variables are added:
- prec_e_fe_1_orig : original MHD-calculated diffuse auroral e- precipitation energy flux [W/m**2]
- prec_e_e0_1_orig : original MHD-calculated diffuse auroral precipitation, mean energy [eV]
If the RCM FAC is selected to be used, the following variable is added:
- fac_mhd : MHD-calculated FAC [A/m**2]
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Rice Convection Model (RCM) Outputs
The RCM outputs include many native files and the standard file type:
- 'rcm': The values of the variables on the 2-d RCM grid (which is different than the 2-d ionosphere grid).
The RCM grid has the following dimensions:
- nphi : number of phi points (0-360 deg; 0=noon; SM coordinates)
- ntheta : number of theta points (usually 8-45 deg; SM coordinate)
- nlam : number of energy invariant levels
The variables are:
- lambda(nlam) : energy invariant (eV-(Re/nT)^(2/3))
- species(nlam) : species (1-electron, 2-proton)
- xclat(nphi,ntheta) : theta of grid point (same for all phi due to rcm settings)
- xlon(nphi,ntheta) : phi of grid point (same for all theta due to rcm settings)
- beq_rad(nphi,ntheta) : r of magnetic equator crossing (Re)
- beq_phi(nphi,ntheta) : phi of magnetic equator crossing
- beq_theta(nphi,ntheta) : theta of magnetic equator crossing
- beq_btot(nphi,ntheta) : b at magnetic equator crossing (nT)
- beq_beta(nphi,ntheta) : beta at magnetic equator crossing
- ftv(nphi,ntheta) : flux tube volume (Re/nT)
- fllen(nphi,ntheta) : field line length (Re)
- bs_phi(nphi,ntheta) : phi of field line south point
- bs_theta(nphi,ntheta) : theta of field line south point
- mhd_pp(nphi,ntheta) : mhd pressure mapped to rcm grid (pPa)
- mhd_rr(nphi,ntheta) : mhd density mapped to rcm grid (cm-3)
- pot(nphi,ntheta) : ionosphere potential mapped to rcm grid (V)
- pp(nphi,ntheta) : rcm pressure (pPa)
- rr(nphi,ntheta) : rcm density (cm-3)
- dprec(nphi,ntheta) : rcm diffuse precipitation (W/m2)
- dprec_e0(nphi,ntheta) : rcm diffuse precipitation energy (eV)
- fac(nphi,ntheta) : rcm field aligned current (N+S; divide by 2 to get one hemi) (micro-A/m**2)
- flux_lam1(nphi,ntheta) : flux of energy invariant 1 ((cm**2-s-keV-sr)-1)
- ...
- flux_lam<nlam>(nphi,ntheta) : flux of energy invariant <nlam> ((cm**2-s-keV-sr)-1)
OpenGGCM-variable files
The MHD side of the OpenGGCM-RCM interface outputs MHD and RCM quantities on the RCM grid in "rcmggcm..." files. These include the entire time series from the start of RCM execution.
- rcmggcmxclat
- rcmggcmxlon
- rcmggcmpot
- rcmggcmftv
- rcmggcmbrad
- rcmggcmbphi
- rcmggcmbeq
- rcmggcmrrio
- rcmggcmttio
- rcmggcmrcm_pp
- rcmggcmrcm_rr
- rcmggcmrcm_dprec
- rcmggcmrcm_dprec_e0
- rcmggcmfac
RCM-native files
The RCM creates many native output files. To some extent, runme file parameters control which variables are saved to files. The files are in binary format and contain the entire time series data set from the start of RCM execution.
- rcmxmin
- rcmymin
- rcmvm
- rcmbmin
- rcmbi
- rcmbj
- rcmetab
- rcmitrack
- rcmmpoint
- rcmnpoint
- rcmeeta
- rcmeetaavg
- rcmbirk
- rcmbirkavg
- rcmv
- rcmvavg
Written only if RCM_IDEBUG=0
- rcmbndloc
- rcmetac
- rcmdens
- rcmtemp
- rcmdbidt
- rcmdbjdt
- rcmpedlam
- rcmpedpsi
- rcmeavg
- rcmeflux
- rcmu.dat
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Post-processing
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