Simulation of the March 9, 1995 substorm and initial comparison to data

In this study we examine a period of substorm activity that occurred on March 9, 1995. Using solar wind data as input, the event has been simulated using a 3-D MHD code. To determine how well the simulation fared, we have compared the simulation results to data. This comparison has taken two forms. The first is a comparison to individual spacecraft in the magnetotail. The second is a comparison of global energy storage and release, where we have compared the auroral heating to data-based estimates of auroral energy dissipation, as well as evaluating the variation of the open flux in the simulation. There is a generally good level of agreement between the simulation results and data. Thus our results show that MHD simulations can be used to model at least one magnetospheric substorm.