Bibliography





Van Allen Probes Bibliography is from August 2012 through September 2021

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Found 36 entries in the Bibliography.


Showing entries from 1 through 36


2021

Can Earth’s magnetotail plasma sheet produce a source of relativistic electrons for the radiation belts?

Abstract Simultaneous observations from Van Allen Probes (RBSP) in Earth’s outer radiation belt (∼4-6 RE) and Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) in the magnetotail plasma sheet at >20 RE geocentric distance are used to compare relative levels of relativistic electron phase space density (PSD) for constant values of the first adiabatic invariant, M. We present new evidence from two events showing: i) at times, there is sufficient PSD in the central plasma sheet to provide a source of >1 MeV electrons into the outer belt; ii) ...

Turner, Drew; Cohen, Ian; Michael, Adam; Sorathia, Kareem; Merkin, Slava; Mauk, Barry; Ukhorskiy, Sasha; Murphy, Kyle; Gabrielse, Christine; Boyd, Alexander; Fennell, Joseph; Blake, Bernard; Claudepierre, Seth; Drozdov, Alexander; Jaynes, Allison; Ripoll, Jean-Francois; Reeves, Geoffrey;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 09/2021

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095495

Radiation belts; plasma sheet; Particle acceleration; relativistic electrons; inner magnetosphere; magnetotail; Van Allen Probes

Superposed Epoch Analysis of Dispersionless Particle Injections Inside Geosynchronous Orbit

AbstractDispersionless injections, involving sudden, simultaneous flux enhancements of energetic particles over some broad range of energy, are a characteristic signature of the particles that are experiencing a significant acceleration and/or rapid inward transport at the leading edge of injections. We have statistically analyzed data from Van Allen Probes (also known as RBSP ) to reveal where the proton (H+) and electron (e–) dispersionless injections occur preferentially inside geosynchronous orbit and how they develop ...

Motoba, T.; Ohtani, S.; Gkioulidou, M.; Ukhorskiy, A; Lanzerotti, L.; Claudepierre, S.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 07/2021

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JA029546

Dispersionless injections; substorms; inner magnetosphere; Van Allen Probes

Investigating the link between outer radiation belt losses and energetic electron escape at the magnetopause: A case study using multi-mission observations and simulations

Abstract Radiation belt flux dropout events are sudden and often significant reductions in high-energy electrons from Earth’s outer radiation belts. These losses are theorized to be due to interactions with the dayside magnetopause and possibly connected to observations of escaping magnetospheric particles. This study focuses on radiation belt losses during a moderate-strength, nonstorm dropout event on 21 November 2016. The potential loss mechanisms and the linkage to dayside escape are investigated using combined energet ...

Cohen, I.; Turner, D.; Michael, A.; Sorathia, K.; Ukhorskiy, A;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2021

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JA029261

Radiation belt; Magnetospheric escape; energetic electrons; Flux dropout events; test particle simulations; Van Allen Probes

2020

Storm Time Plasma Pressure Inferred From Multimission Measurements and Its Validation Using Van Allen Probes Particle Data

The k-nearest-neighbor technique is used to mine a multimission magnetometer database for a subset of data points from time intervals that are similar to the storm state of the magnetosphere for a particular moment in time. These subsets of data are then used to fit an empirical magnetic field model. Performing this for each snapshot in time reconstructs the dynamic evolution of the magnetic and electric current density distributions during storms. However, because weaker storms occur more frequently than stronger storms, th ...

Stephens, G.; Bingham, S.; Sitnov, M.; Gkioulidou, M.; Merkin, V.; Korth, H.; Tsyganenko, N.; Ukhorskiy, A;

Published by: Space Weather      Published on: 10/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020SW002583

storms; empirical geomagnetic field; ring current; data mining; eastward current; plasma pressure; Van Allen Probes

Dynamic Properties of Particle Injections Inside Geosynchronous Orbit: A Multisatellite Case Study

Four closely located satellites at and inside geosynchronous orbit (GEO) provided a great opportunity to study the dynamical evolution and spatial scale of premidnight energetic particle injections inside GEO during a moderate substorm on 23 December 2016. Just following the substorm onset, the four spacecraft, a LANL satellite at GEO, the two Van Allen Probes (also called “RBSP”) at ~5.8 RE, and a THEMIS satellite at ~5.3 RE, observed substorm-related particle injections and local dipolarizations near the central meridi ...

Motoba, T.; Ohtani, S.; Claudepierre, S.; Reeves, G.; Ukhorskiy, A; Lanzerotti, L.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028215

deep particle injections; dipolarizations; substorms; localized DF; Van Allen Probes

2019

Particle Dynamics in the Earth\textquoterights Radiation Belts: Review of Current Research and Open Questions

The past decade transformed our observational understanding of energetic particle processes in near-Earth space. An unprecedented suite of observational systems were in operation including the Van Allen Probes, Arase, MMS, THEMIS, Cluster, GPS, GOES, and LANL-GEO magnetospheric missions. They were supported by conjugate low-altitude measurements on spacecraft, balloons, and ground-based arrays. Together these significantly improved our ability to determine and quantify the mechanisms that control the build-up and subsequent ...

Ripoll, Jean-Francois; Claudepierre, Seth; Ukhorskiy, Sasha; Colpitts, Chris; Li, Xinlin; Fennell, Joe; Crabtree, Chris;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 12/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2019JA026735

inner magnetosphere; laboratory plasma experiments; Particle acceleration; particle loss; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes

Global Empirical Picture of Magnetospheric Substorms Inferred From Multimission Magnetometer Data

Magnetospheric substorms represent key explosive processes in the interaction of the Earth\textquoterights magnetosphere with the solar wind, and their understanding and modeling are critical for space weather forecasting. During substorms, the magnetic field on the nightside is first stretched in the antisunward direction and then it rapidly contracts earthward bringing hot plasmas from the distant space regions into the inner magnetosphere, where they contribute to geomagnetic storms and Joule dissipation in the polar iono ...

Stephens, G.; Sitnov, M.; Korth, H.; Tsyganenko, N.; Ohtani, S.; Gkioulidou, M.; Ukhorskiy, A;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025843

Current sheet thinning; Data-mining; Magnetotail dipolarization; Storm-substorm relationship; substorm current wedge; substorms; Van Allen Probes

Low-Energy (+ Ion Outflow Directly Into the Inner Magnetosphere: Van Allen Probes Observations

The heavy ion component of the low-energy (eV to hundreds of eV) ion population in the inner magnetosphere, also known as the O+ torus, is a crucial population for various aspects of magnetospheric dynamics. Yet even though its existence has been known since the 1980s, its formation remains an open question. We present a comprehensive study of a low-energy (

Gkioulidou, Matina; Ohtani, S.; Ukhorskiy, A; Mitchell, D.; Takahashi, K.; Spence, H.; Wygant, J.; Kletzing, C.; Barnes, R.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025862

inner magnetosphere; O+ outflow; Van Allen Probes

2018

Observations and Fokker-Planck simulations of the L-shell, energy, and pitch-angle structure of Earth\textquoterights electron radiation belts during quiet times

The evolution of the radiation belts in L-shell (L), energy (E), and equatorial pitch-angle (α0) is analyzed during the calm 11-day interval (March 4 \textendashMarch 15) following the March 1 storm 2013. Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) observations from Van Allen Probes are interpreted alongside 1D and 3D Fokker-Planck simulations combined with consistent event-driven scattering modeling from whistler mode hiss waves. Three (L, E, α0)-regions persist through 11 days of hiss wave scattering; the pitch-angle ...

Ripoll, -F.; Loridan, V.; Denton, M.; Cunningham, G.; Reeves, G.; ik, O.; Fennell, J.; Turner, D.; Drozdov, A; Villa, J.; Shprits, Y; Thaller, S.; Kurth, W.; Kletzing, C.; Henderson, M.; Ukhorskiy, A;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 12/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA026111

electron lifetime; hiss waves; pitch-angle diffusion coefficient; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes; wave particle interactions

Ion Trapping and Acceleration at Dipolarization Fronts: High-Resolution MHD/Test-Particle Simulations

Much of plasma heating and transport from the magnetotail into the inner magnetosphere occurs in the form of mesoscale discrete injections associated with sharp dipolarizations of magnetic field (dipolarization fronts). In this paper we investigate the role of magnetic trapping in acceleration and transport of the plasmasheet ions into the ring current. For this purpose we use high-resolution global MHD and three-dimensional test-particle simulations. It is shown that trapping, produced by sharp magnetic field gradients at t ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sorathia, K.; Merkin, V.; Sitnov, M.; Mitchell, D.; Gkioulidou, M.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 06/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025370

injections; plasma pressure; ring current; trapping; Van Allen Probes

Modeling the Depletion and Recovery of the Outer Radiation Belt During a Geomagnetic Storm: Combined MHD and Test Particle Simulations

During geomagnetic storms the intensities of the outer radiation belt electron population can exhibit dramatic variability. Deep depletions in intensity during the main phase are followed by increases during the recovery phase, often to levels that significantly exceed their pre-storm values. To study these processes, we simulate the evolution of the outer radiation belt during the 17 March 2013 geomagnetic storm using our newly-developed radiation belt model (CHIMP) based on test particle and coupled 3D ring current and glo ...

Sorathia, K.; Ukhorskiy, A; Merkin, V.; Fennell, J.; Claudepierre, S.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 06/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025506

dropout; Geomagnetic storms; magnetopause loss; Radial Transport; Radiation belt; Van Allen Probes

Response of Different Ion Species to Local Magnetic Dipolarization Inside Geosynchronous Orbit

This paper examines how hydrogen, helium and oxygen (H, He and O) ion fluxes at 1\textendash1000 keV typically respond to local magnetic dipolarization inside geosynchronous orbit (GEO). We extracted 144 dipolarizations which occurred at magnetic inclination > 30\textdegree from the 2012\textendash2016 tail seasons\textquoteright observations of the Van Allen Probes spacecraft and then defined typical flux changes of these ion species by performing a superposed epoch analysis. On average, the dipolarization inside GEO is acc ...

Motoba, T.; Ohtani, S.; Gkioulidou, M.; Ukhorskiy, A.; Mitchell, D.; Takahashi, K.; Lanzerotti, L.; Kletzing, C.; Spence, H.; Wygant, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 06/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025557

deep inside geosynchronous orbit; dipolarizations; Ion injections; ion species; Van Allen Probes

A census of plasma waves and structures associated with an injection front in the inner magnetosphere

Now that observations have conclusively established that the inner magnetosphere is abundantly populated with kinetic electric field structures and nonlinear waves, attention has turned to quantifying the ability of these structures and waves to scatter and accelerate inner magnetospheric plasma populations. A necessary step in that quantification is determining the distribution of observed structure and wave properties (e.g. occurrence rates, amplitudes, spatial scales). Kinetic structures and nonlinear waves have broadband ...

Malaspina, David; Ukhorskiy, Aleksandr; Chu, Xiangning; Wygant, John;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA025005

Electron Injection; inner magnetosphere; Kinetic structures; Plasma Boundaries; plasma waves; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes

Space Weather Operation at KASI with Van Allen Probes Beacon Signals

The Van Allen Probes (VAPs) are the only modern NASA spacecraft broadcasting real-time data on the Earth\textquoterights radiation belts for space weather operations. Since 2012, the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has contributed to the receipt of this data via a 7-m satellite tracking antenna and used these data for space weather operations. An approximately 15-min period is required from measurement to acquisition of Level-1 data. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of VAP data for monitoring space we ...

Lee, Jongkil; Kim, Kyung-Chan; Romeo, Giuseppe; Ukhorskiy, Sasha; Sibeck, David; Kessel, Ramona; Mauk, Barry; Giles, Barbara; Gu, Bon-Jun; Lee, Hyesook; Park, Young-Deuk; Lee, Jaejin;

Published by: Space Weather      Published on: 01/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1002/2017SW001726

Electron acceleration; Radiation belt; Relativistic electron; Space weather; Van Allen Probes

2017

Multipoint observations of energetic particle injections and substorm activity during a conjunction between Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and Van Allen Probes

This study examines multipoint observations during a conjunction between MMS and Van Allen Probes on 07 April 2016 in which a series of energetic particle injections occurred. With complementary data from THEMIS, Geotail, and LANL-GEO (16 spacecraft in total), we develop new insights on the nature of energetic particle injections associated with substorm activity. Despite this case involving only weak substorm activity (max. AE < 300 nT) during quiet geomagnetic conditions in steady, below-average solar wind, a complex serie ...

Turner, D.; Fennell, J.; Blake, J.; Claudepierre, S.; Clemmons, J.; Jaynes, A.; Leonard, T.; Baker, D.; Cohen, I.; Gkioulidou, M.; Ukhorskiy, A; Mauk, B.; Gabrielse, C.; Angelopoulos, V.; Strangeway, R.; Kletzing, C.; Le Contel, O.; Spence, H.; Torbert, R.; Burch, J.; Reeves, G.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024554

energetic particles; injections; inner magnetosphere; plasma sheet; substorms; Van Allen Probes; wave-particle interactions

Ion acceleration at dipolarization fronts in the inner magnetosphere

During geomagnetic storms plasma pressure in the inner magnetosphere is controlled by energetic ions of tens to hundreds of keV. Plasma pressure is the source of global storm time currents, which control the distribution of magnetic field and couple the inner magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Recent analysis showed that the buildup of hot ion population in the inner magnetosphere largely occurs in the form of localized discrete injections associated with sharp dipolarizations of magnetic field, similar to dipolarization fron ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.; Merkin, V.; Gkioulidou, M.; Mitchell, D.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 03/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023304

injections; ring current; trapping; Van Allen Probes

Second harmonic poloidal waves observed by Van Allen Probes in the dusk-midnight sector

This paper presents observations of ultralow-frequency (ULF) waves from Van Allen Probes. The event that generated the ULF waves occurred 2 days after a minor geomagnetic storm during a geomagnetically quiet time. Narrowband pulsations with a frequency of about 7 mHz with moderate amplitudes were registered in the premidnight sector when Probe A was passing through an enhanced density region near geosynchronous orbit. Probe B, which passed through the region earlier, did not detect the narrowband pulsations but only broadban ...

Min, Kyungguk; Takahashi, Kazue; Ukhorskiy, Aleksandr; Manweiler, Jerry; Spence, Harlan; Singer, Howard; Claudepierre, Seth; Larsen, Brian; Soto-Chavez, Rualdo; Cohen, Ross;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 03/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023770

drift-bounce resonance; high m ULF waves; Second harmonic poloidal mode; Van Allen Probes

Second harmonic poloidal waves observed by Van Allen Probes in the dusk-midnight sector

This paper presents observations of ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves from Van Allen Probes. The event that generated the ULF waves occurred two days after a minor geomagnetic storm during a geomagnetically quiet time. Narrowband pulsations with a frequency of about 7 mHz with moderate amplitudes were registered in the pre-midnight sector when Probe A was passing through an enhanced density region near geosynchronous orbit. Probe B, which passed through the region earlier, did not detect the narrowband pulsations but only broa ...

Min, Kyungguk; Takahashi, Kazue; Ukhorskiy, Aleksandr; Manweiler, Jerry; Spence, Harlan; Singer, Howard; Claudepierre, Seth; Larsen, Brian; Soto-Chavez, Rualdo; Cohen, Ross;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023770

drift-bounce resonance; high m ULF waves; Second harmonic poloidal mode; Van Allen Probes

Acceleration at Dipolarization Fronts in the Inner Magnetosphere

During geomagnetic storms plasma pressure in the inner magnetosphere is controlled by energetic ions of tens to hundreds keV. Plasma pressure is the source of global storm-time currents, which control the distribution of magnetic field and couple the inner magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Recent analysis showed that the buildup of hot ion population in the inner magnetosphere largely occurs in the form of localized discrete injections associated with sharp dipolarizations of magnetic field, similar to dipolarization fronts ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.; Merkin, V.; Gkioulidou, M.; Mitchell, D.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016ja023304

injections; ring current; trapping; Van Allen Probes

2016

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

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 March 1st 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 to 6) including (a) the strong energy-dependence to t ...

Ripoll, J.; Reeves, G.; Cunningham, G.; Loridan, V.; Denton, M.; ik, O.; Kurth, W.; Kletzing, C.; Turner, D.; Henderson, M.; Ukhorskiy, A;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 05/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068869

electron lifetimes; electron losses; hiss waves; Radiation belts; Slot region; Van Allen Probes; wave particle interactions

Storm-time dynamics of ring current protons: Implications for the long-term energy budget in the inner magnetosphere

Our investigation of the long-term ring current proton pressure evolution in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere based on Van Allen Probes data shows drastically different behavior of the low- and high- energy components of the ring current proton population with respect to theSYM-H index variation. We found that while the low-energy component of the protons (<80 keV) is strongly governed by convective timescales and is very well correlated with the absolute value of SYM-H index, the high-energy component (>100 keV) va ...

Gkioulidou, Matina; Ukhorskiy, A.; Mitchell, D.; Lanzerotti, L.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 05/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068013

energy budget; Geomagnetic storms; inner magnetosphere; ring current; Van Allen Probes

Storm-time dynamics of ring current protons: Implications for the long-term energy budget in the inner magnetosphere

Our investigation of the long-term ring current proton pressure evolution in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere based on Van Allen Probes data shows drastically different behavior of the low- and high- energy components of the ring current proton population with respect to the Sym-H index variation. We found that while the low-energy component of the protons (<80 keV) is strongly governed by convective timescales and is very well correlated with the absolute value of Sym-H index, the high-energy component (>100 keV) v ...

Gkioulidou, Matina; Ukhorskiy, A.; Mitchell, D.; Lanzerotti, L.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 03/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068013

energy budget; Geomagnetic storms; inner magnetosphere; ring current; Van Allen Probes

2015

Global Storm-Time Depletion of the Outer Electron Belt

The outer radiation belt consists of relativistic (>0.5 MeV) electrons trapped on closed trajectories around Earth where the magnetic field is nearly dipolar. During increased geomagnetic activity, electron intensities in the belt can vary by ordersof magnitude at different spatial and temporal scale. The main phase of geomagnetic storms often produces deep depletions of electron intensities over broad regions of the outer belt. Previous studies identified three possible processes that can contribute to the main-phase deplet ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.; Millan, R.; Kress, B.; Fennell, J.; Claudepierre, S.; Barnes, R.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 03/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020645

dropout; Geomagnetic storms; magnetopause loss; Radial Transport; Radiation belt; ring current; Van Allen Probes

Link between pre-midnight second harmonic poloidal waves and auroral undulations: Conjugate observations with a Van Allen Probes spacecraft and a THEMIS all-sky imager

We report, for the first time, an auroral undulation event on 1 May 2013 observed by an all-sky imager (ASI) at Athabasca (L = 4.6), Canada, for which in situ field and particle measurements in the conjugate magnetosphere were available from a Van Allen Probes spacecraft. The ASI observed a train of auroral undulation structures emerging spontaneously in the pre-midnight subauroral ionosphere, during the growth phase of a substorm. The undulations had an azimuthal wavelength of ~180 km and propagated westward at a speed of 3 ...

Motoba, T.; Takahashi, K.; Ukhorskiy, A.; Gkioulidou, M.; Mitchell, D.; Lanzerotti, L.; Korotova, G.; Donovan, E.; Wygant, J.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Blake, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020863

Van Allen Probes

Spatial structure and temporal evolution of energetic particle injections in the inner magnetosphere during the 14 July 2013 substorm event.

Recent results by the Van Allen Probes mission showed that the occurrence of energetic ion injections inside geosynchronous orbit could be very frequent throughout the main phase of a geomagnetic storm. Understanding, therefore, the formation and evolution of energetic particle injections is critical in order to quantify their effect in the inner magnetosphere. We present a case study of a substorm event that occurred during a weak storm (Dst ~ - 40 nT) on 14 July 2013. Van Allen Probe B, inside geosynchronous orbit, observe ...

Gkioulidou, Matina; Ohtani, S.; Mitchell, D.; Ukhorskiy, A.; Reeves, G.; Turner, D.; Gjerloev, J.; e, Nos\; Koga, K.; Rodriguez, J.; Lanzerotti, L.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020872

inner magnetosphere; Van Allen Probes

Empirical modeling of the storm-time innermost magnetosphere using Van Allen Probes and THEMIS data: Eastward and banana currents

The structure of storm-time currents in the inner magnetosphere, including its innermost region inside 4RE, is studied for the first time using a modification of the empirical geomagnetic field model TS07D and new data from Van Allen Probes and THEMIS missions. It is shown that the model, which uses basis-function expansions instead of ad hoc current modules to approximate the magnetic field, consistently improves its resolution and magnetic field reconstruction with the increase of the number of basis functions and resolves ...

Stephens, G.; Sitnov, M.; Ukhorskiy, A; Roelof, E.; Tsyganenko, N.; Le, G.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021700

eastward current; empirical geomagnetic field; magnetic storm; ring current; Van Allen Probes

2014

The role of small-scale ion injections in the buildup of Earth\textquoterights ring current pressure: Van Allen Probes observations of the March 17 th , 2013 storm

Energetic particle transport into the inner magnetosphere during geomagnetic storms is responsible for significant plasma pressure enhancement, which is the driver of large-scale currents that control the global electrodynamics within the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Therefore, understanding the transport of plasma from the tail deep into the near-Earth magnetosphere, as well as the energization processes associated with this transport, is essential for a comprehensive knowledge of the near-Earth space environment. Durin ...

Gkioulidou, Matina; Ukhorskiy, A.; Mitchell, D.; Sotirelis, T.; Mauk, B.; Lanzerotti, L.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020096

Geomagnetic storms; Ion injections; ring current; Van Allen Probes

Rotationally driven zebra stripes in Earth s inner radiation belt

Structured features on top of nominally smooth distributions of radiation-belt particles at Earth have been previously associated with particle acceleration and transport mechanisms powered exclusively by enhanced solar-wind activity1, 2, 3, 4. Although planetary rotation is considered to be important for particle acceleration at Jupiter and Saturn5, 6, 7, 8, 9, the electric field produced in the inner magnetosphere by Earth\textquoterights rotation can change the velocity of trapped particles by only about 1\textendash2 kil ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.; Mitchell, D.; Takahashi, K; Lanzerotti, L.; Mauk, B.;

Published by: Nature      Published on: 01/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1038/nature13046

Magnetospheric physics; Van Allen Probes

2013

Dynamics of Radiation Belt Particles

This paper reviews basic concepts of particle dynamics underlying theoretical aspect of radiation belt modeling and data analysis. We outline the theory of adiabatic invariants of quasiperiodic Hamiltonian systems and derive the invariants of particle motion trapped in the radiation belts. We discuss how the nonlinearity of resonant interaction of particles with small-amplitude plasma waves, ubiquitous across the inner magnetosphere, can make particle motion stochastic. Long-term evolution of a stochastic system can be descr ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.;

Published by: Space Science Reviews      Published on: 11/2013

YEAR: 2013     DOI: 10.1007/s11214-012-9938-5

RBSP; Van Allen Probes

Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE)

The Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) on the two Van Allen Probes spacecraft is the magnetosphere ring current instrument that will provide data for answering the three over-arching questions for the Van Allen Probes Program: RBSPICE will determine \textquotedbllefthow space weather creates the storm-time ring current around Earth, how that ring current supplies and supports the creation of the radiation belt populations,\textquotedblright and how the ring current is involved in radiation belt ...

Mitchell, D.; Lanzerotti, L.; Kim, C.; Stokes, M.; Ho, G.; Cooper, S.; UKHORSKIY, A; Manweiler, J.; Jaskulek, S.; Haggerty, D.; Brandt, P.; SITNOV, M; Keika, K.; Hayes, J.; Brown, L.; Gurnee, R.; Hutcheson, J.; Nelson, K.; Paschalidis, N.; Rossano, E.; Kerem, S.;

Published by: Space Science Reviews      Published on: 11/2013

YEAR: 2013     DOI: 10.1007/s11214-013-9965-x

RBSP; Van Allen Probes

Science Objectives and Rationale for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission

The NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission addresses how populations of high energy charged particles are created, vary, and evolve in space environments, and specifically within Earth\textquoterights magnetically trapped radiation belts. RBSP, with a nominal launch date of August 2012, comprises two spacecraft making in situ measurements for at least 2 years in nearly the same highly elliptical, low inclination orbits (1.1\texttimes5.8 RE, 10o). The orbits are slightly different so that 1 spacecraft laps the other ...

Mauk, B.; Fox, N.; Kanekal, S.; Kessel, R.; Sibeck, D.; UKHORSKIY, A;

Published by: Space Science Reviews      Published on: 11/2013

YEAR: 2013     DOI: 10.1007/s11214-012-9908-y

RBSP; Van Allen Probes

Rapid acceleration of protons upstream of earthward propagating dipolarization fronts

[1] Transport and acceleration of ions in the magnetotail largely occurs in the form of discrete impulsive events associated with a steep increase of the tail magnetic field normal to the neutral plane (Bz), which are referred to as dipolarization fronts. The goal of this paper is to investigate how protons initially located upstream of earthward moving fronts are accelerated at their encounter. According to our analytical analysis and simplified two-dimensional test-particle simulations of equatorially mirroring particles, ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Sitnov, M.; Merkin, V.; Artemyev, A.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2013

YEAR: 2013     DOI: 10.1002/jgra.50452

RBSP; Van Allen Probes

2011

Radiation belt storm probes: Resolving fundamental physics with practical consequences

The fundamental processes that energize, transport, and cause the loss of charged particles operate throughout the universe at locations as diverse as magnetized planets, the solar wind, our Sun, and other stars. The same processes operate within our immediate environment, the Earth\textquoterights radiation belts. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission will provide coordinated two-spacecraft observations to obtain understanding of these fundamental processes controlling the dynamic variability of the near-Earth radi ...

Ukhorskiy, Aleksandr; Mauk, Barry; Fox, Nicola; Sibeck, David; Grebowsky, Joseph;

Published by: Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics      Published on: 07/2011

YEAR: 2011     DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2010.12.005

Radiation belts; Space weather; Van Allen Probes

2008

Radial transport in the outer radiation belt due to global magnetospheric compressions

Earth\textquoterights outer radiation belt is populated by relativistic electrons that produce a complex dynamical response to varying geomagnetic activity. One fundamental process defining global state of the belt is radial transport of electrons across their drift shells. Radial transport is induced by resonant interaction of electron drift motion with ULF oscillations of electric and magnetic fields and is commonly believed to be a diffusive process. The goal of this paper is the analysis of radial transport due to typica ...

UKHORSKIY, A; SITNOV, M;

Published by: Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics      Published on: 11/2008

YEAR: 2008     DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2008.07.018

Radial Transport

2006

Storm time evolution of the outer radiation belt: Transport and losses

During geomagnetic storms the magnetic field of the inner magnetosphere exhibits large-scale variations over timescales from minutes to days. Being mainly controlled by the magnetic field the motion of relativistic electrons of the outer radiation belt can be highly susceptible to its variations. This paper investigates evolution of the outer belt during the 7 September 2002 storm. Evolution of electron phase space density is calculated with the use of a test-particle simulation in storm time magnetic and electric fields. Th ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Anderson, B.; Brandt, P.; Tsyganenko, N.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research      Published on: 11/2006

YEAR: 2006     DOI: 10.1029/2006JA011690

Magnetopause Losses

2005

Impact of toroidal ULF waves on the outer radiation belt electrons

Relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt exhibit highly variable complex behavior. Previous studies have established a strong correlation of electron fluxes and the inner magnetospheric ULF waves in the Pc 3\textendash5 frequency range. Resonant interaction of ULF waves with the drift motion of radiation belt electrons violates their third adiabatic invariant and consequently leads to their radial transport. If the wave-particle interaction has a stochastic character, then the electron transport is diffusive. ...

Ukhorskiy, A; Takahashi, K; Anderson, B.; Korth, H.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research      Published on: 10/2005

YEAR: 2005     DOI: 10.1029/2005JA011017

Radial Transport



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