Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons

Details Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufmsm42a..03s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #SM42A-03

Physics

2716 Energetic Particles: Precipitating, 2720 Energetic Particles: Trapped, 2753 Numerical Modeling, 2774 Radiation Belts, 2788 Magnetic Storms And Substorms (7954)

Scientific paper

Radiation belt electrons are accelerated to relativistic energies during magnetic storms and also lost by precipitation into the atmosphere. These source and loss processes compete to decide the stably trapped electron intensity. It is therefore desirable for an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that populate the radiation belt to determine the source and loss rates independently. This is achieved using data from a low altitude satellite with an orbit that passes through both the stable trapping region and the drift loss cone (DLC) region. Electrons in the DLC are quasi-trapped because azimuthal drift leads to their precipitation into the atmosphere within a drift period. Therefore the relative intensity levels in the two regions provide a measure of the loss rate. The time dependence of the stably trapped component combined with the loss rate then leads to an estimate of the required source rate. A single satellite cannot provide full spatial and temporal coverage and it is necessary to combine the data with a numerical model of the electron dynamics to obtain accurate results. In the model the precipitation losses are replenished by pitch angle diffusion while the source mechanism is unspecified and may include a combination of radial diffusion and local acceleration. Adiabatic effects are treated separately. Specific storm periods provide examples of the varying source and loss rates estimated with this method.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Source and loss rates of radiation belt relativistic electrons will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1027801