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Title: Reproducing the observed energy-dependent structure of Earth's electron radiation belts during storm recovery with an event-specific diffusion model

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068869· OSTI ID:1340971
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8]
  1. CEA, DAM, DIF, Arpajon (France)
  2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  3. New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Institute of Atmospheric Physics ASCR, Prague (Czech Republic); Charles Univ., Prague (Czech Republic)
  5. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
  6. Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (United States)
  7. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  8. The Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here, we present dynamic simulations of energy-dependent losses in the radiation belt “slot region” and the formation of the two-belt structure for the quiet days after the 1 March storm. The simulations combine radial diffusion with a realistic scattering model, based data-driven spatially and temporally resolved whistler-mode hiss wave observations from the Van Allen Probes satellites. The simulations reproduce Van Allen Probes observations for all energies and L shells (2–6) including (a) the strong energy dependence to the radiation belt dynamics (b) an energy-dependent outer boundary to the inner zone that extends to higher L shells at lower energies and (c) an “S-shaped” energy-dependent inner boundary to the outer zone that results from the competition between diffusive radial transport and losses. We find that the characteristic energy-dependent structure of the radiation belts and slot region is dynamic and can be formed gradually in ~15 days, although the “S shape” can also be reproduced by assuming equilibrium conditions. The highest-energy electrons (E > 300 keV) of the inner region of the outer belt (L ~ 4–5) also constantly decay, demonstrating that hiss wave scattering affects the outer belt during times of extended plasmasphere. Through these simulations, we explain the full structure in energy and L shell of the belts and the slot formation by hiss scattering during storm recovery. We show the power and complexity of looking dynamically at the effects over all energies and L shells and the need for using data-driven and event-specific conditions.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1340971
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-23141
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 11; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 70 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (7)

Observations and Fokker‐Planck Simulations of the L ‐Shell, Energy, and Pitch Angle Structure of Earth's Electron Radiation Belts During Quiet Times journal February 2019
Dynamics of Megaelectron Volt Electrons Observed in the Inner Belt by PROBA‐V/EPT journal March 2019
Characterization and Evolution of Radiation Belt Electron Energy Spectra Based on the Van Allen Probes Measurements journal June 2019
Explaining the apparent impenetrable barrier to ultra-relativistic electrons in the outer Van Allen belt journal May 2018
Plasmaspheric hiss waves generate a reversed energy spectrum of radiation belt electrons journal January 2019
Explaining the Apparent Impenetrable Barrier to Ultra-relativistic Electrons in the Outer Van Allen Belt conference May 2018
Dynamics of Megaelectron Volt Electrons Observed in the Inner Belt by PROBA-V/EPT text January 2019

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
heliospheric and magnetospheric physics
radiation belts
wave particle interactions
electron losses
electron lifetimes
whistler waves