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

Abstract

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 structuremore » 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.« less

Authors:

Ripoll, J. -F. ^[1]; Reeves, Geoffrey D.  ^[2];

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Cunningham, Gregory Scott ^[2]; Loridan, V. ^[1]; Denton, M. ^[3]; Santolik, O. ^[4]; Kurth, W. S. ^[5]; Kletzing, C. A. ^[5]; Turner, D. L. ^[6]; Henderson, M. G. ^[7]; Ukhorskiy, A. Y. ^[8]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

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)

Publication Date:

Sat Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2016

Research Org.:

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1340971

Report Number(s):

LA-UR-16-23141
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 43; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

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