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Explaining the dynamics of the ultra-relativistic third Van Allen radiation belt

Journal Article · · Nature Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3799· OSTI ID:1338757
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [1];  [6];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11]
  1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Physics
  2. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Physics; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
  3. The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Lab. for Atmospheric and Space Physics
  5. Univ. College London (UCL), Holmbury St. Mary (United Kingdom). Mullard Space Science Lab.
  6. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States). Inst. for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space
  7. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Space and Atmospheric Sciences (NIS-1) Group
  8. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Space Weather Prediction Center
  9. National Observatory of Athens, Penteli (Greece). Inst. for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing
  10. National Observatory of Athens, Penteli (Greece). Inst. for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing; National and Kapodistrian Univ. of Athens (Greece). Dept. of Physics
  11. Lancaster Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics
Since the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts over 50 years ago, an explanation for their complete dynamics has remained elusive. Especially challenging is understanding the recently discovered ultra-relativistic third electron radiation belt. Current theory asserts that loss in the heart of the outer belt, essential to the formation of the third belt, must be controlled by high-frequency plasma wave–particle scattering into the atmosphere, via whistler mode chorus, plasmaspheric hiss, or electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. However, this has failed to accurately reproduce the third belt. In this paper, using a data-driven, time-dependent specification of ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves we show for the first time how the third radiation belt is established as a simple, elegant consequence of storm-time extremely fast outward ULF wave transport. High-frequency wave–particle scattering loss into the atmosphere is not needed in this case. Finally, when rapid ULF wave transport coupled to a dynamic boundary is accurately specified, the sensitive dynamics controlling the enigmatic ultra-relativistic third radiation belt are naturally explained.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States); Univ. College London (UCL), Holmbury St. Mary (United Kingdom); Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Sponsoring Organization:
Canadian Space Agency (CSA); European Commission (EC) (Belgium); European Union (EU) (Belgium); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (United States); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (United Kingdom); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) (United Kingdom); USDOE
Contributing Organization:
Lancaster Univ. (United Kingdom); National Observatory of Athens, Penteli (Greece); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States); National and Kapodistrian Univ. of Athens (Greece); The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1338757
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--16-20639
Journal Information:
Nature Physics, Journal Name: Nature Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 12; ISSN 1745-2473
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group (NPG)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (38)

Coronal mass ejections and their sheath regions in interplanetary space journal November 2017
Explaining the apparent impenetrable barrier to ultra-relativistic electrons in the outer Van Allen belt journal May 2018
Accurately characterizing the importance of wave-particle interactions in radiation belt dynamics: The pitfalls of statistical wave representations: PITFALLS OF STATISTICAL WAVE MODELS journal August 2016
Dependence of radiation belt simulations to assumed radial diffusion rates tested for two empirical models of radial transport: VERB CODE SIMULATIONS WITH DIFFERENT DLL journal January 2017
The Global Statistical Response of the Outer Radiation Belt During Geomagnetic Storms journal May 2018
Electron Drift Resonance in the MHD-Coupled Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Model: MHD ULF DRIFT-RESONANT INTERACTION journal December 2017
Rapid Loss of Radiation Belt Relativistic Electrons by EMIC Waves journal October 2017
Electron Flux Dropouts at L ∼ 4.2 From Global Positioning System Satellites: Occurrences, Magnitudes, and Main Driving Factors: DROPOUTS ON GPS ORBIT journal November 2017
An Energetic Electron Flux Dropout Due to Magnetopause Shadowing on 1 June 2013 journal February 2018
Quantitative Evaluation of Radial Diffusion and Local Acceleration Processes During GEM Challenge Events journal March 2018
Achievements and Challenges in the Science of Space Weather book January 2017
Achievements and Challenges in the Science of Space Weather journal August 2017
Monte Carlo simulations of the sensor head of imaging energetic electron spectrometer onboard a Chinese IGSO navigation satellite journal October 2018
Determining the Mode, Frequency, and Azimuthal Wave Number of ULF Waves During a HSS and Moderate Geomagnetic Storm journal August 2018
On the Close Correspondence Between Storm Time ULF Wave Power and the POES VLF Chorus Wave Amplitude Proxy journal February 2019
On the Role of Last Closed Drift Shell Dynamics in Driving Fast Losses and Van Allen Radiation Belt Extinction journal May 2018
Radiation Belt Slot Region Filling Events: Sustained Energetic Precipitation Into the Mesosphere journal September 2018
The Response of Earth's Electron Radiation Belts to Geomagnetic Storms: Statistics From the Van Allen Probes Era Including Effects From Different Storm Drivers journal February 2019
Helios Observations of Quasiperiodic Density Structures in the Slow Solar Wind at 0.3, 0.4, and 0.6 AU journal February 2019
Contribution of ULF Wave Activity to the Global Recovery of the Outer Radiation Belt During the Passage of a High‐Speed Solar Wind Stream Observed in September 2014 journal March 2019
Outer Van Allen Radiation Belt Response to Interacting Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections journal March 2019
Multiyear Measurements of Radiation Belt Electrons: Acceleration, Transport, and Loss journal April 2019
The March 2015 Superstorm Revisited: Phase Space Density Profiles and Fast ULF Wave Diffusive Transport journal February 2019
On the Relative Strength of Electric and Magnetic ULF Wave Radial Diffusion During the March 2015 Geomagnetic Storm journal April 2019
FORESAIL‐1 CubeSat Mission to Measure Radiation Belt Losses and Demonstrate Deorbiting journal July 2019
Variability of Quasilinear Diffusion Coefficients for Plasmaspheric Hiss journal November 2019
How Do Ultra‐Low Frequency Waves Access the Inner Magnetosphere During Geomagnetic Storms? journal October 2019
Magnetic Local Time‐Resolved Examination of Radiation Belt Dynamics during High‐Speed Solar Wind Speed‐Triggered Substorm Clusters journal September 2019
Modeling the Magnetopause Shadowing Loss During the June 2015 Dropout Event journal August 2019
Decay of Ultrarelativistic Remnant Belt Electrons Through Scattering by Plasmaspheric Hiss journal July 2019
The Source, Significance, and Magnetospheric Impact of Periodic Density Structures Within Stream Interaction Regions journal October 2019
Storm Time Depletions of Multi‐MeV Radiation Belt Electrons Observed at Different Pitch Angles journal November 2019
The dynamics of Van Allen belts revisited journal February 2018
Reply to 'The dynamics of Van Allen belts revisited' journal February 2018
A diagnosis of the plasma waves responsible for the explosive energy release of substorm onset journal November 2018
From solar sneezing to killer electrons: outer radiation belt response to solar eruptions
  • Daglis, Ioannis A.; Katsavrias, Christos; Georgiou, Marina
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 377, Issue 2148 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2018.0097
journal May 2019
Explaining the Apparent Impenetrable Barrier to Ultra-relativistic Electrons in the Outer Van Allen Belt conference May 2018
FORESAIL-1 cubesat mission to measure radiation belt losses and demonstrate de-orbiting text January 2019

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