Simulating Shocks with Refined Semi-Implicit Kinetic Model FLEKS*

Investigating plasma dynamics across shock structures and associated wave-particle interactions is fundamental for comprehending supercritical solar wind-magnetosphere interactions. This presentation details recent advancements in the semi-implicit energy conserving FLexible Exascale Kinetic Simulator (FLEKS) model and its applications in local and global magnetospheric shock simulations. FLEKS has already demonstrated its prowess in capturing kinetic processes related to magnetic reconnection, often coupled with large-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models to resolve kinetic effects within global magnetospheric configurations. However, the original semi-implicit algorithm presented challenges in shock simulations, leading to spurious plasma heating and numerical instabilities. The improved algorithm now enables FLEKS to successfully capture both quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel shock structures, generating waves absent in MHD models. We introduce the kinetic scaling factor in shock simulations and assess its applicability to global magnetospheric plasma transport. This development paves the way for integrating local shock physics into global magnetospheric plasma transport models, establishing the foundation for the next generation of magnetospheric modeling.