Review of modeling of losses and sources of relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt I: Radial transport

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Abstract
In this paper, we focus on the modeling of radial transport in the Earth\textquoterights outer radiation belt. A historical overview of the first observations of the radiation belts is presented, followed by a brief description of radial diffusion. We describe how resonant interactions with poloidal and toroidal components of the ULF waves can change the electron\textquoterights energy and provide radial displacements. We also present radial diffusion and guiding center simulations that show the importance of radial transport in redistributing relativistic electron fluxes and also in accelerating and decelerating radiation belt electrons. We conclude by presenting guiding center simulations of the coupled particle tracing and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) codes and by discussing the origin of relativistic electrons at geosynchronous orbit. Local acceleration and losses and 3D simulations of the dynamics of the radiation belt fluxes are discussed in the companion paper [Shprits, Y.Y., Subbotin, D.A., Meredith, N.P., Elkington, S.R., 2008. Review of modeling of losses and sources of relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt II: Local acceleration and loss. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, this issue. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.06.014].
Year of Publication
2008
Journal
Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Volume
70
Number of Pages
1679-1693
Date Published
11/2008
ISSN Number
13646826
URL
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364682608001648
DOI
10.1016/j.jastp.2008.06.008
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