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Title: The influences of solar wind pressure and interplanetary magnetic field on global magnetic field and outer radiation belt electrons

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069029· OSTI ID:1304818
 [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Beihang Univ., Beijing (China)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  3. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
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Using the Van Allen Probe in situ measured magnetic field and electron data, we examine the solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) effects on global magnetic field and outer radiation belt relativistic electrons (≥1.8 MeV). The dynamic pressure enhancements (>2 nPa) cause the dayside magnetic field increase and the nightside magnetic field reduction, whereas the large southward IMFs (Bz-IMF < –2nT) mainly lead to the decrease of the nightside magnetic field. In the dayside increased magnetic field region (magnetic local time (MLT) ~ 06:00–18:00, and L > 4), the pitch angles of relativistic electrons are mainly pancake distributions with a flux peak around 90° (corresponding anisotropic index A > 0.1), and the higher-energy electrons have stronger pancake distributions (the larger A), suggesting that the compression-induced betatron accelerations enhance the dayside pancake distributions. However, in the nighttime decreased magnetic field region (MLT ~ 18:00–06:00, and L ≥ 5), the pitch angles of relativistic electrons become butterfly distributions with two flux peaks around 45° and 135° (A < 0). The spatial range of the nighttime butterfly distributions is almost independent of the relativistic electron energy, but it depends on the magnetic field day-night asymmetry and the interplanetary conditions. The dynamic pressure enhancements can make the nighttime butterfly distribution extend inward. The large southward IMFs can also lead to the azimuthal expansion of the nighttime butterfly distributions. As a result, these variations are consistent with the drift shell splitting and/or magnetopause shadowing effect.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1304818
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-23137
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 14; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 18 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

The Effects of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Changes on the Substorm Auroras and Energetic Electron Injections on 24 August 2005 journal January 2018
Observations of Impulsive Electric Fields Induced by Interplanetary Shock journal August 2018
Effect of Low‐Harmonic Magnetosonic Waves on the Radiation Belt Electrons Inside the Plasmasphere journal May 2019

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58 GEOSCIENCES
Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics