Recurrent geomagnetic storms and relativistic electron enhancements in the outer magnetosphere: ISTP coordinated measurements

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/97JA00565· OSTI ID:542175

Baker, D N; Li, X; Turner, N ^[1]; Allen, J H ^[2]; Bargatze, L F ^[3]; Blake, J B ^[4]; Sheldon, R B; Spence, H E ^[5]; Belian, R D; Reeves, G D ^[6]; Kanekal, S G ^[7]; Klecker, B ^[8]; Lepping, R P; Ogilvie, K ^[9]; Mewaldt, R A ^[10]; Onsager, T; Singer, H J ^[11]; Rostoker, G ^[12]

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1. Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Campus Box 590, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303-0590 (United States)
2. SCOSTEP Secretariat, NOAA/NGDC, Boulder, Colorado 80302 (United States)
3. Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717-0350 (United States)
4. Aerospace Corp., Los Angeles, California 90009 (United States)
5. Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States)
6. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
7. Huges/STX, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (United States)
8. Max Planck Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, D-8046 Garching Bei Muchen (Germany)
9. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (United States)
10. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States)
11. Space Environment Center, NOAA R/E/SE, 325 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80302 (United States)
12. Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

New, coordinated measurements from the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) constellation of spacecraft are presented to show the causes and effects of recurrent geomagnetic activity during recent solar minimum conditions. It is found using WIND and POLAR data that even for modest geomagnetic storms, relativistic electron fluxes are strongly and rapidly enhanced within the outer radiation zone of the Earth{close_quote}s magnetosphere. Solar wind data are utilized to identify the drivers of magnetospheric acceleration processes. Yohkoh solar soft X-ray data are also used to identify the solar coronal holes that produce the high-speed solar wind streams which, in turn, cause the recurrent geomagnetic activity. It is concluded that even during extremely quiet solar conditions (sunspot minimum) there are discernible coronal holes and resultant solar wind streams which can produce intense magnetospheric particle acceleration. As a practical consequence of this Sun-Earth connection, it is noted that a long-lasting E{gt}1MeV electron event in late March 1996 appears to have contributed significantly to a major spacecraft (Anik E1) operational failure.{copyright} 1997 American Geophysical Union

• OSTI ID: 542175
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, Issue A7; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
MAGNETIC STORMS
ELECTRONS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
SOLAR WIND
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR ACTIVITY