Distinct Formation and Evolution Characteristics of Outer Radiation Belt Electron Butterfly Pitch Angle Distributions Observed by Van Allen Probes

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Binbin Ni ◽  
Ling Yan ◽  
Song Fu ◽  
Xudong Gu ◽  
Xing Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Evolution Characteristics ◽  
Van Allen Probes ◽  
Formation And Evolution

scholarly journals Field-aligned chorus wave spectral power in Earth's outer radiation belt

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Breuillard ◽  
O. Agapitov ◽  
A. Artemyev ◽  
E. A. Kronberg ◽  
S. E. Haaland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Peak Frequency ◽  
Wave Power ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Frequency Variations ◽  
Chorus Wave

Abstract. Chorus-type whistler waves are one of the most intense electromagnetic waves generated naturally in the magnetosphere. These waves have a substantial impact on the radiation belt dynamics as they are thought to contribute to electron acceleration and losses into the ionosphere through resonant wave–particle interaction. Our study is devoted to the determination of chorus wave power distribution on frequency in a wide range of magnetic latitudes, from 0 to 40°. We use 10 years of magnetic and electric field wave power measured by STAFF-SA onboard Cluster spacecraft to model the initial (equatorial) chorus wave spectral power, as well as PEACE and RAPID measurements to model the properties of energetic electrons (~ 0.1–100 keV) in the outer radiation belt. The dependence of this distribution upon latitude obtained from Cluster STAFF-SA is then consistently reproduced along a certain L-shell range (4 ≤ L ≤ 6.5), employing WHAMP-based ray tracing simulations in hot plasma within a realistic inner magnetospheric model. We show here that, as latitude increases, the chorus peak frequency is globally shifted towards lower frequencies. Making use of our simulations, the peak frequency variations can be explained mostly in terms of wave damping and amplification, but also cross-L propagation. These results are in good agreement with previous studies of chorus wave spectral extent using data from different spacecraft (Cluster, POLAR and THEMIS). The chorus peak frequency variations are then employed to calculate the pitch angle and energy diffusion rates, resulting in more effective pitch angle electron scattering (electron lifetime is halved) but less effective acceleration. These peak frequency parameters can thus be used to improve the accuracy of diffusion coefficient calculations.

Simulations of the Relativistic Radiation Belt Electrons Using the VERB-3D Code

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dedong Wang ◽  
Yuri Shprits ◽  
Alexander Drozdov ◽  
Nikita Aseev ◽  
Irina Zhelavskaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Space Weather ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Dynamic Evolution ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Chorus Waves ◽  
Van Allen Probes ◽  
Radiation Belt Electrons ◽  
Simulation Results

<p>Using the three-dimensional Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB-3D) code, we perform simulations to investigate the dynamic evolution of relativistic electrons in the Earth’s outer radiation belt. In our simulations, we use data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to set up the outer boundary condition, which is the only data input for simulations. The magnetopause shadowing effect is included by using last closed drift shell (LCDS), and it is shown to significantly contribute to the dropouts of relativistic electrons at high $L^*$. We validate our simulation results against measurements from Van Allen Probes. In long-term simulations, we test how the latitudinal dependence of chorus waves can affect the dynamics of the radiation belt electrons. Results show that the variability of chorus waves at high latitudes is critical for modeling of megaelectron volt (MeV) electrons. We show that, depending on the latitudinal distribution of chorus waves under different geomagnetic conditions, they cannot only produce a net acceleration but also a net loss of MeV electrons. Decrease in high‐latitude chorus waves can tip the balance between acceleration and loss toward acceleration, or alternatively, the increase in high‐latitude waves can result in a net loss of MeV electrons. Variations in high‐latitude chorus may account for some of the variability of MeV electrons. </p><p>Our simulation results for the NSF GEM Challenge Events show that the position of the plasmapause plays a significant role in the dynamic evolution of relativistic electrons. We also perform simulations for the COSPAR International Space Weather Action Team (ISWAT) Challenge for the year 2017. The COSPAR ISWAT is a global hub for collaborations addressing challenges across the field of space weather. One of the objectives of the G3-04 team “Internal Charging Effects and the Relevant Space Environment” is model performance assessment and improvement. One of the expected outputs is a more systematic assessment of model performance under different conditions. The G3-04 team proposed performing benchmarking challenge runs. We ‘fly’ a virtual satellite through our simulation results and compare the simulated differential electron fluxes at 0.9 MeV and 57.27 degrees local pitch-angle with the fluxes measured by the Van Allen Probes. In general, our simulation results show good agreement with observations. We calculated several different matrices to validate our simulation results against satellite observations.</p>

Substorm Injections as a Source of Relativistic Electrons in Earth’s Outer Radiation Belt

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew Turner ◽  
Ian Cohen ◽  
Kareem Sorathia ◽  
Sasha Ukhorskiy ◽  
Geoff Reeves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Energetic Electron ◽  
Local Source ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Phase Space Density ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Space Density ◽  
Van Allen Probes

<p>Earth’s magnetotail plasma sheet plays a crucial role in the variability of Earth’s outer electron radiation belt. Typically, injections of energetic electrons from Earth’s magnetotail into the outer radiation belt and inner magnetosphere during periods of substorm activity are not observed exceeding ~300 keV.  Consistent with that, phase space density radial distributions of electrons typically indicate that for electrons below ~300 keV, there is a source of electrons in the plasma sheet while for electrons with energies above that, there is a local source within the outer radiation belt itself.  However, here we ask the question: is this always the case or can the plasma sheet provide a direct source of relativistic (> ~500 keV) electrons into Earth’s outer radiation belt via substorm injection? Using phase space density analysis for fixed values of electron first and second adiabatic invariants, we use energetic electron data from NASA’s Van Allen Probes and Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) missions during periods in which MMS observed energetic electron injections in the plasma sheet while Van Allen Probes concurrently observed injections into the outer radiation belt. We report on cases that indicate there was a sufficient source of up to >1 MeV electrons in the electron injections in the plasma sheet as observed by MMS, yet Van Allen Probes did not see those energies injected inside of geosynchronous orbit.  From global insight with recent test-particle simulations in global, dynamic magnetospheric fields, we offer an explanation for why the highest-energy electrons might not be able to inject into the outer belt even while the lower energy (< ~300 keV) electrons do. Two other intriguing points that we will discuss concerning these results are: i) what acceleration mechanism is capable of producing such abundance of relativistic electrons at such large radial distances (X-GSE < -10 RE) in Earth’s magnetotail? and ii) during what conditions (if any) might injections of relativistic electrons be able to penetrate into the outer belt?</p>

scholarly journals Statistical model of electron pitch angle diffusion in the outer radiation belt

2012 ◽  
Vol 117 (A8) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Artemyev ◽  
O. Agapitov ◽  
V. Krasnoselskikh ◽  
H. Breuillard ◽  
G. Rolland
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Model ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt

scholarly journals On the Effect of Geomagnetic Storms on Relativistic Electrons in the Outer Radiation Belt: Van Allen Probes Observations

2017 ◽  
Vol 122 (11) ◽  
pp. 11,100-11,108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo S. Moya ◽  
Víctor A. Pinto ◽  
David G. Sibeck ◽  
Shrikanth G. Kanekal ◽  
Daniel N. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Geomagnetic Storms ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Van Allen Probes

scholarly journals REPAD: An empirical model of pitch angle distributions for energetic electrons in the Earth's outer radiation belt

2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 1693-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Chen ◽  
Reiner H. W. Friedel ◽  
Michael G. Henderson ◽  
Seth G. Claudepierre ◽  
Steven K. Morley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Model ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Outer Radiation Belt ◽  
Energetic Electrons
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