Bibliography
|
Notice:
|
Found 15 entries in the Bibliography.
Showing entries from 1 through 15
| 2020 |
|
The “zebra stripes” are peaks and valleys commonly present in the spectrograms of energetic particles trapped in the Earth s inner belt and slot region. Several theories have been proposed over the years to explain their generation, structure, and evolution. Yet, the plausibility of various theories has not been tested due to a historical lack of ground truth, including in situ electric field measurements. In this work, we leverage the new visibility offered by the database of Van Allen Probes electric drift measurements to reveal the conditions associated with the generation of zebra stripe patterns. Energetic electron fluxes by the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015 are systematically analyzed to determine 370 start times associated with the generation of zebra stripes. Statistical analyses of these events reveal that the zebra stripes are usually created during substorm onset, a time at which prompt penetration electric fields are present in the plasmasphere. All the pieces of experimental evidence collected are consistent with a scenario in which the prompt penetration electric field associated with substorm onset leads to a sudden perturbation of the trapped particle drift motion. Subsequent drift echoes constitute the zebra stripes. This study exemplifies how the analysis of trapped particle dynamics in the inner belt and slot region provides complementary information on the dynamics of plasmaspheric electric fields. It is the first time that the signature of prompt penetration electric fields is detected in near-equatorial electric field measurements below L = 3. Lejosne, Solène; Mozer, Forrest; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 06/2020 YEAR: 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA027889 zebra stripes; superposed epoch analysis; prompt penetration electric fields; Inner radiation belt; substorm; Van Allen Probes |
| 2019 |
|
Satellite-based direct electric field measurements deliver crucial information for space science studies. Yet they require meticulous design and calibration. In-flight calibration of double-probe instruments is usually presented in the most common case of tenuous plasmas, where the presence of an electrostatic structure surrounding the charged spacecraft alters the geophysical electric field measurements. To account for this effect and the uncertainty in the boom length, the measured electric field is multiplied by a parameter called the shorting factor (sf). In the plasmasphere, the Debye length is very small in comparison with spacecraft dimension, and there is no shorting of the electric field measurements (sf = 1). However, the electric field induced by spacecraft motion greatly exceeds any geophysical electric field of interest in the plasmasphere. Thus, the highest level of accuracy in calibration is required. The objective of this work is to discuss the accuracy of the setting sf = 1 and therefore to examine the accuracy of Van Allen Probes electric field measurements below L = 2. We introduce a method to determine the shorting factor near perigee. It relies on the idea that the value of the geophysical electric field measured in the Earth\textquoterights rotating frame of reference is independent of whether the spacecraft is approaching perigee or past perigee, that is, it is independent of spacecraft velocity. We obtain that sf = 0.994 \textpm 0.001. The resulting margins of errors in individual electric drift measurements are of the order of \textpm0.1\% of spacecraft velocity (a few meters per second). Published by: Earth and Space Science Published on: 04/2019 YEAR: 2019 DOI: 10.1029/2018EA000550 DC electric field; double probe instrument; electric drift; plasmasphere; shorting factor; Van Allen Probes |
| 2018 |
|
It has been reported that the dynamics of energetic (tens to hundreds of keV) electrons and ions is inconsistent with the theoretical picture in which the large-scale electric field is a superposition of corotation and convection electric fields. Combining one year of measurements by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, DMSP F-18 and the Van Allen Probes, we show that subauroral polarization streams are observed when energetic electrons have penetrated below L = 4. Outside the plasmasphere in the premidnight region, potential energy is subtracted from the total energy of ions and added to the total energy of electrons during SAPS onset. This potential energy is converted into radial motion as the energetic particles drift around Earth and leave the SAPS azimuthal sector. As a result, energetic electrons are injected deeper than energetic ions when SAPS are included in the large-scale electric field picture, in line with observations. Lejosne, ène; Kunduri, B.; Mozer, F.; Turner, D.; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 04/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1029/2018GL077969 adiabatic invariants; drift paths; electric fields; injections; SAPS; Van Allen Probes |
|
Magnetic activity dependence of the electric drift below L=3 More than two years of magnetic and electric field measurements by the Van Allen Probes are analyzed with the objective of determining the average effects of magnetic activity on the electric drift below L=3. The study finds that an increase in magnetospheric convection leads to a decrease in the magnitude of the azimuthal component of the electric drift, especially in the night-side. The amplitude of the slowdown is a function of L, local time MLT, and Kp, in a pattern consistent with the storm-time dynamics of the ionosphere and thermosphere. To a lesser extent, magnetic activity also alters the average radial component of the electric drift below L=3. A global picture for the average variations of the electric drift with Kp is provided as a function of L and MLT. It is the first time that the signature of the ionospheric disturbance dynamo is observed in near-equatorial electric drift measurements. Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 04/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1029/2018GL077873 electric drift; electric field; Inner radiation belt; ionospheric disturbance dynamo; plasmasphere; subcorotation; Van Allen Probes |
|
Reply to Comment by Nishimura Et Al. Nishimura et al. (2010, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193186, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JA016876, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JA018242, and in their comment, hereafter called N18) have suggested that chorus waves interact with equatorial electrons to produce pulsating auroras. We agree that chorus can scatter electrons >10 keV, as do Time Domain Structures (TDSs). Lower-energy electrons occurring in pulsating auroras cannot be produced by chorus, but such electrons are scattered and accelerated by TDS. TDSs often occur with chorus and have power in their spectra at chorus frequencies. Thus, the absence of power at low frequencies is not evidence that TDSs are absent, as an example shows. Through examination of equatorial electric field waveforms and electron pitch angle distributions measured on the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms satellites (in place of examining field and particle spectra, as done by Nishimura et al.), we show that chorus cannot produce the field-aligned electrons associated with pulsating auroras in the Nishimura et al. (2010, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1193186) events, but TDSs can. Equatorial field-aligned electron distributions associated with pulsating auroras and created by TDS in the absence of chorus or any other wave at the equator are also shown. Mozer, F.; Hull, A.; Lejosne, S.; Vasko, I; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 03/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1002/2018JA025218 chorus cannot precipitate electrons observed in pulsating auroras; time domain structures cause electron precipitation in pulsating auroras; Van Allen Probes |
|
Coordinates for Representing Radiation Belt Particle Flux Fifty years have passed since the parameter \textquotedblleftL-star\textquotedblright was introduced in geomagnetically trapped particle dynamics. It is thus timely to review the use of adiabatic theory in present-day studies of the radiation belts, with the intention of helping to prevent common misinterpretations and the frequent confusion between concepts like \textquotedblleftdistance to the equatorial point of a field line,\textquotedblright McIlwain\textquoterights L-value, and the trapped particle\textquoterights adiabatic L* parameter. And too often do we miss in the recent literature a proper discussion of the extent to which some observed time and space signatures of particle flux could simply be due to changes in magnetospheric field, especially insofar as off-equatorial particles are concerned. We present a brief review on the history of radiation belt parameterization, some \textquotedblleftrecipes\textquotedblright on how to compute adiabatic parameters, and we illustrate our points with a real event in which magnetospheric disturbance is shown to adiabatically affect the particle fluxes measured onboard the Van Allen Probes. Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 02/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA025053 |
| 2017 |
|
Pulsating auroras produced by interactions of electrons and time domain structures Previous evidence has suggested that either lower band chorus waves or kinetic Alfven waves scatter equatorial kilovolt electrons that propagate to lower altitudes where they precipitate or undergo further low-altitude scattering to make pulsating auroras. Recently, time domain structures (TDSs) were shown, both theoretically and experimentally, to efficiently scatter equatorial electrons. To assess the relative importance of these three mechanisms for production of pulsating auroras, 11 intervals of equatorial THEMIS data and a 4 h interval of Van Allen Probe measurements have been analyzed. During these events, lower band chorus waves produced only negligible modifications of the equatorial electron distributions. During the several TDS events, the equatorial 0.1\textendash3 keV electrons became magnetic field-aligned. Kinetic Alfven waves may also have had a small electron scattering effect. The conclusion of these studies is that time domain structures caused the most important equatorial scattering of ~1 keV electrons toward the loss cone to provide the main electron contribution to pulsating auroras. Chorus wave scattering may have provided part of the highest energy (>10 keV) electrons in such auroras. Mozer, F.; Agapitov, O.; Hull, A.; Lejosne, S.; Vasko, I; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 08/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024223 |
|
We examine a characteristic feature of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, namely, the persistent and latitudinally narrow bands of rapid westward ion drifts called the Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS). Despite countless works on SAPS, information relative to their durations is lacking. Here, we report on the first statistical analysis of more than 200 near-equatorial SAPS observations based on more than two years of Van Allen Probe electric drift measurements. First, we present results relative to SAPS radial locations and amplitudes. Then, we introduce two different ways to estimate SAPS durations. In both cases, SAPS activity is estimated to last for about nine hours on average. However, our estimates for SAPS duration are limited either by the relatively long orbital periods of the spacecraft or by the relatively small number of observations involved. 50 \% of the events fit within the time interval [0;18] hours. Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 08/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017GL074985 duration; electric drift measurements; magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; SAPS; Van Allen Probes |
|
Plasmaspheric rotation is known to lag behind Earth rotation. The causes for this corotation lag are not yet fully understood. We have used more than two years of Van Allen Probe observations to compare the electric drift measured below L~2 with the predictions of a general model. In the first step, a rigid corotation of the ionosphere with the solid Earth was assumed in the model. The results of the model-observation comparison are twofold: (1) radially, the model explains the average observed geographic variability of the electric drift; (2) azimuthally, the model fails to explain the full amplitude of the observed corotation lag. In the second step, ionospheric corotation was modulated in the model by thermospheric winds, as given by the latest version of the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM14). Accounting for the thermospheric corotation lag at ionospheric E-region altitudes results in significantly better agreement between the model and the observations. Lejosne, ène; Maus, Stefan; Mozer, F.; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 07/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017GL074862 corotation; electric field; Ionosphere; plasmasphere; thermosphere; Van Allen Probes; wind |
| 2016 |
|
The electric drift E \texttimes B/B2 plays a fundamental role for the description of plasma flow and particle acceleration. Yet it is not well-known in the inner belt and slot region because of a lack of reliable in situ measurements. In this article, we present an analysis of the electric drifts measured below L ~ 3 by both Van Allen Probes A and B from September 2012 to December 2014. The objective is to determine the typical components of the equatorial electric drift in both radial and azimuthal directions. The dependences of the components on radial distance, magnetic local time, and geographic longitude are examined. The results from Van Allen Probe A agree with Van Allen Probe B. They show, among other things, a typical corotation lag of the order of 5 to 10\% below L ~ 2.6, as well as a slight radial transport of the order of 20 m s-1. The magnetic local time dependence of the electric drift is consistent with that of the ionosphere wind dynamo below L ~ 2 and with that of a solar wind-driven convection electric field above L ~ 2. A secondary longitudinal dependence of the electric field is also found. Therefore, this work also demonstrates that the instruments on board Van Allen Probes are able to perform accurate measurements of the electric drift below L ~ 3. Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 12/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023613 electric drift; electric field; Inner radiation belt; plasmasphere; subcorotation; Van Allen Probes |
|
We have used electric and magnetic measurements by Van Allen Probe B from 2013 to 2014 to examine the equatorial electric drift E \texttimes B/B2 at one field line coordinate set to Arecibo\textquoterights incoherent scatter radar location (L = 1.43). We report on departures from the traditional picture of corotational motion with the Earth in two ways: (1) the rotational angular speed is found to be 10\% smaller than the rotational angular speed of the Earth, in agreement with previous works on plasmaspheric notches, and (2) the equatorial electric drift displays a dependence in magnetic local time, with a pattern consistent with the mapping of the Arecibo ionosphere dynamo electric fields along equipotential magnetic field lines. The electric fields due to the ionosphere dynamo are therefore expected to play a significant role when discussing, for instance, the structure and dynamics of the plasmasphere or the transport of trapped particles in the inner belt. Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 07/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2016GL069875 corotation; electric field; Inner radiation belt; Ionosphere; plasmasphere; Van Allen Probes |
|
We examine a characteristic effect, namely, the ubiquitous appearance of structured peaks and valleys called zebra stripes in the spectrograms of energetic electrons and ions trapped in the inner belt below L ~ 3. We propose an explanation of this phenomenon as a purely kinematic consequence of particle drift velocity modulation caused by F region zonal plasma drifts in the ionosphere. In other words, we amend the traditional assumption that the electric field associated with ionospheric plasma drives trapped particle distributions into rigid corotation with the Earth. An equation based on a simple first-order model is set up to determine quantitatively the appearance of zebra stripes as a function of magnetic time. Our numerical predictions are in agreement with measurements by the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment detector onboard Van Allen Probes, namely: (1) the central energy of any peak identified in the spectrum on the dayside is the central energy of a spectral valley on the night side, and vice versa; (2) there is also an approximate peak-to-valley inversion when comparing the spectrum of trapped electrons with that of trapped ions in the same place; and (3) the actual energy separation between two consecutive peaks (or number of stripes) in the spectrogram of a trapped population is an indicator of the time spent by the particles drifting under quiet conditions. Lejosne, Solène; Roederer, Juan; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 01/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021925 electric field; Ionosphere; Inner radiation belt; Van Allen Probes; zebra stripes |
| 2015 |
|
Time Domain Structures: what and where they are, what they do, and how they are made Time Domain Structures (TDS) (electrostatic or electromagnetic electron holes, solitary waves, double layers, etc.) are >=1 msec pulses having significant parallel (to the background magnetic field) electric fields. They are abundant through space and occur in packets of hundreds in the outer Van Allen radiation belts where they produce magnetic-field-aligned electron pitch angle distributions at energies up to a hundred keV. TDS can provide the seed electrons that are later accelerated to relativistic energies by whistlers and they also produce field-aligned electrons that may be responsible for some types of auroras. These field-aligned electron distributions result from at least three processes. The first process is parallel acceleration by Landau trapping in the TDS parallel electric field. The second process is Fermi acceleration due to reflection of electrons by the TDS. The third process is an effective and rapid pitch angle scattering resulting from electron interactions with the perpendicular and parallel electric and magnetic fields of many TDS. TDS are created by current-driven and beam-related instabilities and by whistler-related processes such as parametric decay of whistlers and non-linear evolution from oblique whistlers. New results on the temporal relationship of TDS and particle injections, types of field-aligned electron pitch angle distributions produced by TDS, the mechanisms for generation of field-aligned distributions by TDS, the maximum energies of field-aligned electrons created by TDS in the absence of whistler mode waves, TDS generation by oblique whistlers and three-wave-parametric decay, and the correlation between TDS and auroral particle precipitation, are presented. Mozer, F.S.; Agapitov, O.V.; Artemyev, A.; Drake, J.F.; Krasnoselskikh, V.; Lejosne, S.; Vasko, I.; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 04/2015 YEAR: 2015 DOI: 10.1002/2015GL063946 |
| 2014 |
|
The mechanisms for accelerating electrons from thermal to relativistic energies in the terrestrial magnetosphere, on the sun, and in many astrophysical environments have never been verified. We present the first direct observation of two processes that, in a chain, cause this acceleration in Earth\textquoterights outer radiation belt. The two processes are parallel acceleration from electron-volt to kilovolt energies by parallel electric fields in time-domain structures (TDS), after which the parallel electron velocity becomes sufficiently large for Doppler-shifted upper band whistler frequencies to be in resonance with the electron gyration frequency, even though the electron energies are kilovolts and not hundreds of kilovolts. The electrons are then accelerated by the whistler perpendicular electric field to relativistic energies in several resonant interactions. TDS are packets of electric field spikes, each spike having duration of a few hundred microseconds and containing a local parallel electric field. The TDS of interest resulted from nonlinearity of the parallel electric field component in oblique whistlers and consisted of \~0.1 msec pulses superposed on the whistler waveform with each such spike containing a net parallel potential the order of 50 V. Local magnetic field compression from remote activity provided the free energy to drive the two processes. The expected temporal correlations between the compressed magnetic field, the nonlinear whistlers with their parallel electric field spikes, the electron flux and the electron pitch angle distributions were all observed. Mozer, S.; Agapitov, O.; Krasnoselskikh, V.; Lejosne, S.; Reeves, D.; Roth, I.; Published by: Physical Review Letters Published on: 07/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.035001 |
|
The mechanisms for accelerating electrons from thermal to relativistic energies in the terrestrial magnetosphere, on the sun, and in many astrophysical environments have never been verified. We present the first direct observation of two processes that, in a chain, cause this acceleration in Earth\textquoterights outer radiation belt. The two processes are parallel acceleration from electron-volt to kilovolt energies by parallel electric fields in time-domain structures (TDS), after which the parallel electron velocity becomes sufficiently large for Doppler-shifted upper band whistler frequencies to be in resonance with the electron gyration frequency, even though the electron energies are kilovolts and not hundreds of kilovolts. The electrons are then accelerated by the whistler perpendicular electric field to relativistic energies in several resonant interactions. TDS are packets of electric field spikes, each spike having duration of a few hundred microseconds and containing a local parallel electric field. The TDS of interest resulted from nonlinearity of the parallel electric field component in oblique whistlers and consisted of \~0.1 msec pulses superposed on the whistler waveform with each such spike containing a net parallel potential the order of 50 V. Local magnetic field compression from remote activity provided the free energy to drive the two processes. The expected temporal correlations between the compressed magnetic field, the nonlinear whistlers with their parallel electric field spikes, the electron flux and the electron pitch angle distributions were all observed. Mozer, F.; Agapitov, O.; Krasnoselskikh, V.; Lejosne, S.; Reeves, G.; Roth, I.; Published by: Phys. Rev. Lett. Published on: 07/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.035001 |
1