A double-peaked inner radiation belt; Cause and effect as seen on CRRES

Conference · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

OSTI ID:5594146

Mullen, E G; Gussenhoven, M S; Ray, K; Violet, M ^[1]

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1. Phillips Lab., Geophysics Directorate, Hanscom Air Force Base, MA (US)

This paper reports on data from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) which show the formation of a second peak in the inner proton radiation belt during the Sudden Storm Commencement (SSC) at 03:42 UT on 24 March 1991. The authors believe that the injection of high energy protons into an L-shell of 2.55 R{sub E} is directly related to the solar-initiated shock accompanying the SSC. Once injected, the greater than 20 MeV protons became stably trapped and produced the second peak in the proton belt that continues for months after the event. The secondary peak protons increased single event upset rates in microelectronic test devices on CRRES by over an order of magnitude in the region of the second peak, that is, for L-values of 1.8 R{sub E} to 2.6 R{sub E}. This second belt has far-reaching effects for radiation belt modelers and for determining radiation degradation and single event upset (SEU) levels for systems that must operate in this region of near-Earth space.

• OSTI ID: 5594146
• Report Number(s): CONF-910751--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Journal Volume: 38:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYONS
BEAM INJECTION
DATA
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
L SHELL
MAGNETIC STORMS
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 10-100
NUCLEONS
PROTON SATELLITES
PROTONS
RADIATION BELTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
TRAPPING