Relationship Between the Plasmasphere and Relativistic Electron Flux Depletions in Earth's Outer Radiation Belt

Details Relationship Between the Plasmasphere and Relativistic Electron Flux Depletions in Earth's Outer Radiation Belt Relationship Between the Plasmasphere and Relativistic Electron Flux Depletions in Earth's Outer Radiation Belt

May 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agusmsm31a..03g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2005, abstract #SM31A-03

Physics

2716 Energetic Particles, Precipitating, 2720 Energetic Particles, Trapped, 2730 Magnetosphere: Inner, 2768 Plasmasphere

Scientific paper

Decades of electron flux measurements from satellites probing Earth's outer Van Allen belt depict a highly variable radiation environment that researchers have been challenged to explain. The erratic flux changes induced by geomagnetic activity suggest that acceleration processes are often countered by profuse loss. Thus, to predict flux variations both processes must be understood. Some acceleration mechanisms have been proposed and tested. However, the conditions and processes that remove electrons from the magnetosphere are still uncertain. Recent work suggests that scattering into the atmosphere may be the dominant process responsible for some flux depletions [Green et al., 2004]. We use a superposed epoch analysis of multi-satellite data to demonstrate how scattering into the atmosphere contributes to flux depletions in the outer radiation belt. We identify waves responsible for scattering the electrons by comparing the local time of precipitating electrons to the local time of observed electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) and whistler waves. Finally, we examine how changes in the high density plasmasphere enhance or inhibit the growth of these waves and their ability to interact with high energy electrons, thus, indirectly dictating radiation belt electron flux levels.

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