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Found 28 entries in the Bibliography.
Showing entries from 1 through 28
| 2021 |
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Abstract Radiation belt electrons undergo frequent acceleration, transport, and loss processes under various physical mechanisms. One of the most prevalent mechanisms is radial diffusion, caused by the resonant interactions between energetic electrons and ULF waves in the Pc4-5 band. An indication of this resonant interaction is believed to be the appearance of periodic flux oscillations. In this study, we report long-lasting, drift-periodic flux oscillations of relativistic and ultrarelativistic electrons with energies up to ∼7.7 MeV in the outer radiation belt, observed by the Van Allen Probes mission. During this March 2017 event, multi-MeV electron flux oscillations at the electron drift frequency appeared coincidently with enhanced Pc5 ULF wave activity and lasted for over 10 hours in the center of the outer belt. The amplitude of such flux oscillations is well correlated with the radial gradient of electron phase space density (PSD), with almost no oscillation observed near the PSD peak. The temporal evolution of the PSD radial profile also suggests the dominant role of radial diffusion in multi-MeV electron dynamics during this event. By combining these observations, we conclude that these multi-MeV electron flux oscillations are caused by the resonant interactions between electrons and broadband Pc5 ULF waves and are an indicator of the ongoing radial diffusion process during this event. They contain essential information of radial diffusion and have the potential to be further used to quantify the radial diffusion effects and aid in a better understanding of this prevailing mechanism. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Zhao, Hong; Sarris, Theodore; Li, Xinlin; Weiner, Max; Huckabee, Isabela; Baker, Daniel; Jaynes, Allison; Kanekal, Shrikanth; Elkington, Scot; Barani, Mohammad; Tu, Weichao; Liu, Wenlong; Zhang, Dianjun; Hartinger, Michael; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 07/2021 YEAR: 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JA029284 Radiation belt; multi-MeV electrons; radial diffusion; ULF waves; Wave-particle interaction; Phase space density radial gradient; Van Allen Probes |
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Energetic electron detection packages on board Chinese navigation satellites in MEO Abstract Energetic electron measurements and spacecraft charging are of great significance for theoretical research in space physics and space weather applications. In this paper, the energetic electron detection package (EEDP) deployed on three Chinese navigation satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO) is reviewed. The instrument was developed by the space science payload team led by Peking University. The EEDP includes a pinhole medium-energy electron spectrometer (MES), a high-energy electron detector (HED) based on ΔE-E telescope technology, and a deep dielectric charging monitor (DDCM). The MES measures the energy spectra of 50−600 keV electrons from nine directions with a 180°×30° field of view (FOV). The HED measures the energy spectrum of 0.5−3.0 MeV electrons from one direction with a 30° cone-angle FOV. The ground test and calibration results indicate that these three sensors exhibit excellent performance. Preliminary observations show that the electron spectra measured by the MES and HED are in good agreement with the results from the magnetic electron-ion spectrometer (MagEIS) of the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, with an average relative deviation of 27.3\% for the energy spectra. The charging currents and voltages measured by the DDCM during storms are consistent with the high-energy electron observations of the HED, demonstrating the effectiveness of the DDCM. The observations of the EEDP on board the three MEO satellites can provide important support for theoretical research on the radiation belts and the applications related to space weather. YuGuang, Ye; Hong, Zou; Qiu-Gang, Zong; HongFei, Chen; JiQing, Zou; WeiHong, Shi; XiangQian, Yu; WeiYing, Zhong; YongFu, Wang; YiXin, Hao; ZhiYang, Liu; XiangHong, Jia; Bo, Wang; XiaoPing, Yang; XiaoYun, Hao; Published by: Earth and Planetary Physics Published on: 04/2021 YEAR: 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2021021 Radiation belts; energetic electron detection; Pin-hole technology; Chinese navigation satellites; MEO; internal charging; Van Allen Probes |
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Energetic electron detection packages on board Chinese navigation satellites in MEO Abstract Energetic electron measurements and spacecraft charging are of great significance for theoretical research in space physics and space weather applications. In this paper, the energetic electron detection package (EEDP) deployed on three Chinese navigation satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO) is reviewed. The instrument was developed by the space science payload team led by Peking University. The EEDP includes a pinhole medium-energy electron spectrometer (MES), a high-energy electron detector (HED) based on ΔE-E telescope technology, and a deep dielectric charging monitor (DDCM). The MES measures the energy spectra of 50−600 keV electrons from nine directions with a 180°×30° field of view (FOV). The HED measures the energy spectrum of 0.5−3.0 MeV electrons from one direction with a 30° cone-angle FOV. The ground test and calibration results indicate that these three sensors exhibit excellent performance. Preliminary observations show that the electron spectra measured by the MES and HED are in good agreement with the results from the magnetic electron-ion spectrometer (MagEIS) of the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, with an average relative deviation of 27.3\% for the energy spectra. The charging currents and voltages measured by the DDCM during storms are consistent with the high-energy electron observations of the HED, demonstrating the effectiveness of the DDCM. The observations of the EEDP on board the three MEO satellites can provide important support for theoretical research on the radiation belts and the applications related to space weather. YuGuang, Ye; Hong, Zou; Qiu-Gang, Zong; HongFei, Chen; JiQing, Zou; WeiHong, Shi; XiangQian, Yu; WeiYing, Zhong; YongFu, Wang; YiXin, Hao; ZhiYang, Liu; XiangHong, Jia; Bo, Wang; XiaoPing, Yang; XiaoYun, Hao; Published by: Earth and Planetary Physics Published on: 04/2021 YEAR: 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2021021 Radiation belts; energetic electron detection; Pin-hole technology; Chinese navigation satellites; MEO; internal charging; Van Allen Probes |
| 2020 |
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Evidence of Nonlinear Interactions Between Magnetospheric Electron Cyclotron Harmonic Waves Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves play an important role in the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. They are usually considered to be generated by the Bernstein-mode instability with electron loss cone distributions. By analyzing the Van Allen Probes wave data, we present the direct evidence of the nonlinear interactions between ECH waves in the magnetosphere. Substorm-injected electrons excite primary ECH waves in a series of structureless bands between multiples of the electron gyrofrequency. Nonlinear interactions between the primary ECH waves produce secondary waves at sum- and difference-frequencies of the primary waves. Our results suggest that the nonlinear wave-wave interactions can redistribute the primary ECH wave energy over a broader frequency range and hence potentially affect the magnetospheric electrons over a broader range of pitch angles and energies. Gao, Zhonglei; Zuo, Pingbing; Feng, Xueshang; Wang, Yi; Jiang, Chaowei; Wei, Fengsi; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 08/2020 YEAR: 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088452 ECH; wave-wave interaction; nonlinear interaction; frequency spectrum broadening; electron Bernstein mode; generalized Bernstein mode; Van Allen Probes |
| 2019 |
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Using Van Allen Probe Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) wave observations from September 2012 to May 2018, we statistically investigate the distributions of power-weighted wave normal angle (WNA) of fast magnetosonic (MS) waves from L = 2\textendash6 within \textpm15\textdegree geomagnetic latitudes. The spatial distributions show that the MS WNAs are mainly confined within 87\textendash89\textdegree near the geomagnetic equator and decrease with increasing magnetic latitude. Further quantitative investigation demonstrates that the WNAs normally distribute as a mixture of two Gaussian distributions ranging from 85\textdegree to 88\textdegree, and the tangent of it can decrease as a Kappa distribution function when the waves propagate to higher latitudes. Our study completes the survey of spatial distributions of MS WNAs and provides quantitative dependence of the WNA distribution on the magnetic latitude in the inner magnetosphere, which can be readily useful in future global simulations of radiation belt particle dynamics. Zou, Zhengyang; Zuo, Pingbing; Ni, Binbin; Wei, Fengsi; Zhao, Zhengyu; Cao, Xing; Fu, Song; Gu, Xudong; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 07/2019 YEAR: 2019 DOI: 10.1029/2019JA026556 Empirical Model; Fast Magnetosonic Waves; latitudinal dependence; power-weighted wave normal angles; spatial distributions; Van Allen Probes |
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Double-peak subauroral ion drifts (DSAIDs), characterized by two high-speed flow channels, is a newly identified flow structure in the subauroral ionosphere. He et al. (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069133) proposed that two region 2 field-aligned currents (R2 FACs) might cause the DSAIDs. However, the underlying physical process that drives the double R2 FACs is unknown. This study reports a DSAIDs event and reveals its magnetospheric drivers. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F18 satellite observed DSAIDs in the duskside subauroral region, which corresponded well to two low-density troughs and two R2 FACs. The Van Allen Probe B demonstrated that intense substorm ion injections recurrently occurred prior to the formation of DSAIDs, suggesting a potential magnetospheric driver of DSAIDs. Simulation confirms that recurrent ion injections intensify the partial ring current and create double pressure peaks in the near-Earth dusk-to-midnight region, leading two R2 FACs to flow into the ionosphere. The two R2 FACs are thus responsible for the DSAIDs formation. This study unveils the generation mechanism of DSAIDs and deepens the knowledge of the complex magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Wei, Dong; Yu, Yiqun; He, Fei; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 06/2019 YEAR: 2019 DOI: 10.1029/2019GL083186 |
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We report multi-spacecraft observations of ULF waves from Van Allen Probes (RBSP), Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorm (THEMIS), and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). On August 31, 2015, global-scale poloidal waves were observed in data from RBSP-B, GOES and THEMIS from L=4 to L=8 over a wide range of magnetic local time (MLT). The polarization states varied towards purely poloidal polarity. In two consecutive orbits over 18 hours, RBSP-A and RBSP-B recorded gradual variation of the polarization states of the poloidal waves; the ratio (|Ba|/|Br|) decreased from 0.82 to 0.13. After the variation of polarization states, the poloidal ULF waves became very purely poloidal waves, localized in both L and MLT. We identify the poloidal wave as second harmonic mode with a large azimuthal wave number (m) of \textendash232. From RBSP particle measurements we find evidence that the high- m poloidal waves during the polarization variations were powered by inward radial gradients and bump-on-tail ion distributions through the N=1 drift-bounce resonance. Most of the time, the dominant free energy source was inward radial gradients, compared with the positive gradient in the energy distribution of the bump-on-tail ion distributions. Wei, Chao; Dai, Lei; Duan, Suping; Wang, Chi; Wang, YuXian; Published by: Earth and Planetary Physics Published on: 05/2019 YEAR: 2019 DOI: 10.26464/epp2019021 bump-on-tail; inward gradient; polarization rotation; poloidal waves; Van Allen Probes |
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We report on evidence for the generation of an ultra-low frequency plasma wave by the drift-mirror plasma instability in the dynamic plasma environment of Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere. The plasma measurements are obtained from the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment onboard NASA\textquoterights Van Allen Probes Satellites. We show that the measured wave-particle interactions are driven by the drift-mirror instability. Theoretical analysis of the data demonstrates that the drift-mirror mode plasma instability condition is well satisfied. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that the measured wave growth rate agrees well with the predicted linear theory growth rate. Hence, the in-situ space plasma observations and theoretical analysis demonstrate that local generation of ultra-low frequency and high amplitude plasma waves can occur in the high beta plasma conditions of Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere. Soto-Chavez, A.; Lanzerotti, L.; Manweiler, J.; Gerrard, A.; Cohen, R.; Xia, Z.; Chen, L.; Kim, H.; Published by: Physics of Plasmas Published on: 04/2019 YEAR: 2019 DOI: 10.1063/1.5083629 |
| 2018 |
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Electromagnetic whistler-mode chorus and electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves can contribute significantly to auroral electron precipitation and radiation belt electron acceleration. In the past, linear and nonlinear wave-particle interactions have been proposed to explain the occurrences of these magnetospheric waves. By analyzing Van Allen Probes data, we present here the first evidence for nonlinear coupling between chorus and ECH waves. The sum-frequency and difference-frequency interactions produced the ECH sidebands with discrete frequency sweeping structures exactly corresponding to the chorus rising tones. The newly-generated weak sidebands did not satisfy the original electrostatic wave dispersion relation. After the generation of chorus and normal ECH waves by hot electron instabilities, the nonlinear wave-wave interactions could additionally redistribute energy among the resonant waves, potentially affecting to some extent the magnetospheric electron dynamics. Gao, Zhonglei; Su, Zhenpeng; Xiao, Fuliang; Summers, Danny; Liu, Nigang; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wei, Fengsi; Wang, Shui; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 11/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1029/2018GL080635 aurora; Chorus wave; electron cyclotron harmonic wave; nonlinear wave-wave interaction; Radiation belt; Van Allen Probes |
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We examine the spatiotemporal variations of the energy density and the energy spectral evolution of energetic ions in the inner magnetosphere during the main phase of the 17 March 2015 storm, using data from the RBSPICE and EMFISIS instruments onboard Van Allen Probes. The storm developed in response to two southward IMF intervals separated by about 3 h. In contrast to two steps seen in the Dst/SYM-H index, the ring current ion population evolved in three steps: the first subphase was apparently caused by the earlier southward IMF, and the subsequent subphases occurred during the later southward IMF period. Ion energy ranges that contribute to the ring current differed between the three subphases. We suggest that the spectral evolution resulted from the penetration of different plasma sheet populations. The ring current buildup during the first subphase was caused by the penetration of a relatively low-energy population that had existed in the plasma sheet during a prolonged prestorm northward IMF interval. The deeper penetration of the lower-energy population was responsible for the second subphase. The third subphase, where the storm was unexpectedly intensified to a Dst/SYM-H level of <-200 nT, was caused by the penetration of a hot, dense plasma sheet population. We attribute the hot, dense population to the entry of hot, dense solar wind into the plasma sheet and/or ion heating/acceleration in the near-Earth plasma sheet associated with magnetotail activity such as reconnection and dipolarization. Keika, Kunihiro; Seki, Kanako; e, Masahito; Miyoshi, Yoshizumi; Lanzerotti, Louis; Mitchell, Donald; Gkioulidou, Matina; Manweiler, Jerry; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 01/2018 YEAR: 2018 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024462 enhancements of oxygen ions of ionospheric origin; plasma transport from the plasma sheet into the inner magnetosphere; RBSPICE; unexpected intensification of the magnetic storm; Van Allen Probes |
| 2017 |
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We analyse two ion scale dipolarization fronts associated with field-aligned currents detected by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during a large substorm on August 10, 2016. The first event corresponds to a fast dawnward flow with an anti-parallel current and could be generated by the wake of a previous fast earthward flow. It is associated with intense lower-hybrid drift waves detected at the front and propagating dawnward with a perpendicular phase speed close to the electric drift and the ion thermal velocity. The second event corresponds to a flow reversal: from southwward/dawnward to northward/duskward associated with a parallel current consistent with a brief expansion of the plasma sheet before the front crossing, and with a smaller lower-hybrid drift wave activity. Electromagnetic electron phase-space holes are detected near these low-frequency drift waves during both events. The drift waves could accelerate electrons parallel to the magnetic field and produce the parallel electron drift needed to generate the electron holes. Yet, we cannot rule out the possibility that the drift waves are produced by the anti-parallel current associated with the fast flows, leaving the source for the electron holes unexplained. Contel, O.; Nakamura, R.; Breuillard, H.; Argall, M.; Graham, D.; Fischer, D.; o, A.; Berthomier, M.; Pottelette, R.; Mirioni, L.; Chust, T.; Wilder, F.; Gershman, D.; Varsani, A.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Khotyaintsev, Yu.; Norgren, C.; Ergun, R.; Goodrich, K.; Burch, J.; Torbert, R.; Needell, J.; Chutter, M.; Rau, D.; Dors, I.; Russell, C.; Magnes, W.; Strangeway, R.; Bromund, K.; Wei, H; Plaschke, F.; Anderson, B.; Le, G.; Moore, T.; Giles, B.; Paterson, W.; Pollock, C.; Dorelli, J.; Avanov, L.; Saito, Y.; Lavraud, B.; Fuselier, S.; Mauk, B.; Cohen, I.; Turner, D.; Fennell, J.; Leonard, T.; Jaynes, A.; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 10/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024550 dipolarization front; electron hole; fast flow:Van allen Probes; Field-Aligned Current; lower-hybrid drift wave; substorm |
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Energetic proton spectra measured by the Van Allen Probes We test the hypothesis that pitch-angle scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves can limit ring current proton fluxes. For two chosen magnetic storms, during March 17-20, 2013 and March 17-20, 2015, we measure proton energy spectra in the region 3 <= L <= 6 using the RBSPICE B instrument on the Van Allen Probes. The most intense proton spectra are observed to occur during the recovery periods of the respective storms. Using proton precipitation data from the POES (NOAA and MetOp) spacecraft, we deduce that EMIC wave action was prevalent at the times and L-shell locations of the most intense proton spectra. We calculate limiting ring current proton energy spectra from recently developed theory. Comparisons between the observed proton energy spectra and the theoretical limiting spectra show reasonable agreement. We conclude that the measurements of the most intense proton spectra are consistent with self-limiting by EMIC wave scattering. Summers, Danny; Shi, Run; Engebretson, Mark; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Manweiler, Jerry; Mitchell, Donald; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 09/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024484 EMIC-wave -proton scattering; proton ring current; Van Allen Probes |
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Ring Current He-Ion Control by Bounce Resonant ULF Waves Ring current energy He-ion (\~65 keV to \~520 keV) differential flux data from the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument aboard the Van Allan Probes spacecraft show considerable variability during quiet solar wind and geomagnetic time periods. Such variability is apparent from orbit to orbit (\~9 hours) of the spacecraft and is observed to be \~50\textendash100\% of the nominal flux. Using data from the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) instrument, also aboard the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, we identify that a dominant source of this variability is from ULF waveforms with periods of 10\textquoterights of sec. These periods correspond to the bounce resonant timescales of the ring current He-ions being measured by RBSPICE. A statistical survey using the particle and field data for one full spacecraft precession period (approximately two years) shows that the wave and He-ion flux variations are generally anti-correlated, suggesting the bounce resonant pitch-angle scattering process as a major component in the scattering of He-ions. Kim, Hyomin; Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Soto-Chavez, Rualdo; Cohen, Ross; Manweiler, Jerry; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 09/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2017JA023958 bounce resonance; Helium ion; ring current; ULF waves; Van Allen Probes |
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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 broadband noise. Despite the single-spacecraft measurements, we were able to determine various wave properties. We find that (1) the observed waves are a second harmonic poloidal mode propagating westward with an azimuthal wave number estimated to be \~100; (2) the magnetic field fluctuations have a finite compressional component due to small but finite plasma beta (\~0.1); (3) the energetic proton fluxes in the energy ranging from above 10 keV to about 100 keV exhibit pulsations with the same frequency as the poloidal mode and energy-dependent phase delays relative to the azimuthal component of the electric field, providing evidence for drift-bounce resonance; and (4) the second harmonic poloidal mode may have been excited via the drift-bounce resonance mechanism with free energy fed by the inward radial gradient of \~80 keV protons. We show that the wave active region is where the plume overlaps the outer edge of ring current and suggest that this region can have a wide longitudinal extent near geosynchronous orbit. 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 |
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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 broadband noise. Despite the single-spacecraft measurements, we were able to determine various wave properties. We find that (1) the observed waves are a second harmonic poloidal mode propagating westward with an azimuthal wave number estimated to be \~100; (2) the magnetic field fluctuations have a finite compressional component due to small but finite plasma beta (\~0.1); (3) the energetic proton fluxes in the energy ranging from above 10 keV to about 100 keV exhibit pulsations with the same frequency as the poloidal mode and energy-dependent phase delays relative to the azimuthal component of the electric field, providing evidence for drift-bounce resonance; and (4) the second harmonic poloidal mode may have been excited via the drift-bounce resonance mechanism with free energy fed by the inward radial gradient of \~80 keV protons. We show that the wave active region is where the plume overlaps the outer edge of ring current and suggest that this region can have a wide longitudinal extent near geosynchronous orbit. 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 |
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An interesting form of \textquotedblleftzipper-like\textquotedblright magnetosonic waves consisting of two bands of interleaved periodic rising-tone spectra was newly observed by the Van Allen Probes, the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), and the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) missions. The two discrete bands are distinct in frequency and intensity; however, they maintain the same periodicity which varies in space and time, suggesting that they possibly originate from one single source intrinsically. In one event, the zipper-like magnetosonic waves exhibit the same periodicity as a constant-frequency magnetosonic wave and an electrostatic emission, but the modulation comes from neither density fluctuations nor ULF waves. A statistical survey based on 3.5 years of multisatellite observations shows that zipper-like magnetosonic waves mainly occur on the dawnside to noonside, in a frequency range between 10 fcp and fLHR. The zipper-like magnetosonic waves may provide a new clue to nonlinear excitation or modulation process, while its cause still remains to be fully understood. Li, J.; Bortnik, J.; Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Thorne, R.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Wygant, J.; Breneman, A.; Thaller, S.; Funsten, H.; Mitchell, D.; Manweiler, J.; Torbert, R.; Le Contel, O.; Ergun, R.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Torkar, K.; Nakamura, R.; Andriopoulou, M.; Russell, C.; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 01/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023536 magnetosonic wave; Radiation belt; rising-tone; Van Allen Probes; zipper-like |
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Climatology of high-β plasma measurements in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere Since their launch in August 2012, the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instruments on the NASA Van Allen Probes spacecraft have been making continuous high-resolution measurements of Earth\textquoterights ring current plasma environment. After a full traversal through all magnetic local times, a climatology (i.e., a survey of observations) of high-beta (β) plasma events (defined here as β > 1) as measured by the RBSPICE instrument in the \~45 keV to \~600 keV proton energy range in the inner magnetosphere (L < 5.8) has been constructed. In this paper we report this climatology of such high-β plasma occurrences, durations, and their general characteristics. Specifically, we show that most high-β events in the RBSPICE energy range are associated with postdusk/premidnight sector particle injections or plasma patches and can last from minutes to hours. While most of these events have a β less than 2, there are a number of observations reaching β greater than 4. Other observations of particular note are high-β events during relatively minor geomagnetic storms and examples of very long duration high-β plasmas. We show that high-β plasmas are a relatively common occurrence in the inner magnetosphere during both quiet and active times. As such, the waves generated by these plasmas may have an underappreciated role in the inner magnetosphere, and thus the study of these plasmas and their instabilities may be more important than has been currently addressed. Cohen, Ross; Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Soto-Chavez, A.; Kim, Hyomin; Manweiler, Jerry; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 01/2017 YEAR: 2017 DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022513 climatology; high-beta plasma; inner magnetosphere; RBSPICE; Van Allen Probes |
| 2016 |
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Climatology of high β plasma measurements in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere Since their launch in August 2012, the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instruments on the NASA Van Allen Probes spacecraft have been making continuous high resolution measurements of Earth\textquoterights ring current plasma environment. After a full traversal through all magnetic local times, a climatology (i.e., a survey of observations) of high beta (β) plasma events (defined here as β>1) as measured by the RBSPICE instrument in the \~45-keV to \~600-keV proton energy range in the inner magnetosphere (L<5.8) has been constructed. In this paper we report this climatology of such high β plasma occurrences, durations, and their general characteristics. Specifically, we show that most high β events in the RBSPICE energy range are associated with post-dusk/pre-midnight sector particle injections or plasma patches and can last from minutes to hours. While most of these events have a β less than 2, there are a number of observations reaching β greater than 4. Other observations of particular note are high β events during relatively minor geomagnetic storms and examples of very long duration high β plasmas. We show that high β plasmas are a relatively common occurrence in the inner magnetosphere during both quiet and active times. As such, the waves generated by these plasmas may have an under-appreciated role in the inner magnetosphere, and thus the study of these plasmas and their instabilities may be more important than has been currently addressed. Cohen, Ross; Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Soto-Chavez, A.; Kim, Hyomin; Manweiler, Jerry; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 12/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022513 climatology; high beta plasma; inner magnetosphere; RBSPICE; Van Allen Probes |
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A strongly energy-dependent ring current ion loss was measured by the RBSPICE instrument on the Van Allen Probes A spacecraft in the local evening sector during the 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm. The ion loss is found to be energy dependent where only ions with energies measured above \~ 150 keV have a significant drop in intensity. At these energies the ion dynamics are principally controlled by variations of the geomagnetic field which, during magnetic storms, exhibits large scale variations on timescales from minutes to hours. Here we show that starting from \~ 19:10 UTC on March 17 the geomagnetic field increased from 220 to 260 nT on a time scale of about an hour as captured by RBSPICE-A close to spacecraft apogee, L = 6.1 and MLT = 21.85 hr. [GSM coordinates X=-4.89, Y=3.00, Z=-0.73)]. We demonstrate the relationship between this large geomagnetic field increase and the drop-outs of the inline image 150 keV ring current ions. Soto-Chavez, A.; Lanzerotti, L.; Gerrard, A.; Kim, H.; Bortnik, J.; Manweiler, J.; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 09/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022512 inner magnetosphere; Magnetic Storms; Ring current ion.; Van Allen Probes |
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A statistical study of ring current-energy proton pitch angle distributions (PADs) in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere is reported here. The data are from the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) on board the Van Allen Probe B spacecraft from January 1, 2013 to April 15, 2015. By fitting the data to the functional form sinnα, where α is the proton pitch angle, we examine proton PADs at the energies 50, 100, 180, 328 and 488 keV in the L-shell range from L = 2.5 to L = 6. Three PAD types are classified: trapped (90\textdegree peaked), butterfly and isotropic. The proton PAD dependence on the particle energy, MLT, L-shell, and geomagnetic activity are analyzed in detail. The results show a strong dependence of the proton PADs on MLT. On the nightside, the n values outside the plasmapause are clearly lower than those inside the plasmapause. At higher energies and during intense magnetic activity, nightside butterfly PADs can be observed at L-shells down to the vicinity of the plasmapause. The averaged n values on the dayside are larger than on the nightside. A maximum of the averagedn values occurs around L = 4.5 in the postnoon sector (12 - 16MLT). The averaged n values show a dawn-dusk asymmetry with lower values on the dawnside at high L-shells, which is consistent with previous studies of butterfly PADs. The MLT dependence of the proton PADs becomes more distinct with increasing particle energy. These features suggest that drift-shell splitting coupled with a radial flux gradient play an important role in the formation of PADs, particularly at L > ~ 4.5 Shi, Run; Summers, Danny; Ni, Binbin; Manweiler, Jerry; Mitchell, Donald; Lanzerotti, Louis; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 05/2016 YEAR: 2016 DOI: 10.1002/2015JA022140 |
| 2015 |
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On the use of drift echoes to characterize on-orbit sensor discrepancies We describe a method for using drift echo signatures in on-orbit data to resolve discrepancies between different measurements of particle flux. The drift period has a well-defined energy dependence, which gives rise to time dispersion of the echoes. The dispersion can then be used to determine the effective energy for one or more channels given each channel\textquoterights drift period and the known energy for a reference channel. We demonstrate this technique on multiple instruments from the Van Allen probes mission. Drift echoes are only easily observed at high energies (100s keV to multiple MeV), where several drift periods occur before the observing satellite has moved on or the global magnetic conditions have changed. We describe a first-order correction for spacecraft motion. The drift echo technique has provided a significant clue in resolving substantial flux discrepancies between two instruments measuring fluxes near 2 MeV. O\textquoterightBrien, T.P.; Claudepierre, S.G.; Looper, M.D.; Blake, J.B.; Fennell, J.F.; Clemmons, J.H.; Roeder, J.L.; Kanekal, S.G.; Manweiler, J.W.; Mitchell, D.G.; Gkioulidou, M.; Lanzerotti, L.J.; Spence, H.E.; Reeves, G.D.; Baker, D.N.; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 02/2015 YEAR: 2015 DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020859 |
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We present Van Allen Probe B observations of azimuthally limited, antisymmetric, poloidal Pc 4 electric and magnetic field pulsations in the pre-midnight sector of the magnetosphere from 05:40 to 06:00 UT on 1 May 2013. Oscillation periods were similar for the magnetic and electric fields and proton fluxes. The flux of energetic protons exhibited an energy-dependent response to the pulsations. Energetic proton variations were anticorrelated at medium and low energies. Although we attribute the pulsations to a drift-bounce resonance, we demonstrate that the energy-dependent response of the ion fluxes results from pulsation-associated velocities sweeping energy-dependent radial ion flux gradients back and forth past the spacecraft. Korotova, G.; Sibeck, D.; Tahakashi, K.; Dai, L.; Spence, H.; Kletzing, C.; Wygant, J.; Manweiler, J.; Moya, P.; Hwang, K.-J.; Redmon, R.; Published by: Annales Geophysicae Published on: 01/2015 YEAR: 2015 DOI: 10.5194/angeo-33-955-2015 |
| 2014 |
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H-ion (~45-keV to ~600-keV), He-ion (~65-keV to ~520-keV), and O-ion (~140-keV to ~1130-keV) integral flux measurements, from the Radiation Belt Storm Probe Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument aboard the Van Allan Probes spacecraft B, are reported. These abundance data form a cohesive picture of ring current ions during the first nine months of measurements. Furthermore, the data presented herein are used to show injection characteristics via the He-ion/H-ion abundance ratio and the O-ion/H-ion abundance ratio. Of unique interest to ring current dynamics are the spatial-temporal decay characteristics of the two injected populations. We observe that He-ions decay more quickly at lower L-shells, on the orderof ~0.8-day at L-shells of 3\textendash4, and decay more slowly with higher L-shell, on the order of ~1.7-days at L-shells of 5\textendash6. Conversely, O-ions decay very rapidly (~1.5-hours) across all L-shells. The He-ion decay time are consistent with previously measured and calculated lifetimes associated with charge exchange. The O-ion decay time is much faster than predicted and is attributed to the inclusion of higher energy (>500-keV) O-ions in our decay rate estimation. We note that these measurements demonstrate a compelling need for calculation of high energy O-ion loss rates, which have not been adequately studied in the literature to date. Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Gkioulidou, Matina; Mitchell, Donald; Manweiler, Jerry; Bortnik, Jacob; Keika, Kunihiro; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 11/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020374 inner magnetosphere; ion decay rates; Spacecraft measurements; Van Allen Probes |
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An unusual long-lived relativistic electron enhancement event excited by sequential CMEs An unusual long-lived intense relativistic electron enhancement event from July to August 2004 is examined using data from Fengyun-1, POES, GOES, ACE, the Cluster Mission and geomagnetic indices. During the initial 6 days of this event, the observed fluxes in the outer zone enhanced continuously and their maximum increased from 2.1 \texttimes 102 cm-2\textperiodcenteredsr-1\textperiodcentereds-1 to 3.5 \texttimes 104 cm-2\textperiodcenteredsr-1\textperiodcentereds-1, the region of enhanced fluxes extended from L = 3.5-6.5 to L = 2.5-6.5, and the flux peak location shifted inward from L ~ 4.2 to L ~ 3.3. During the following 7 days, without any locational movement, the flux peak increased slowly and exceeded the pre-storm fluxes by about 4 orders of magnitude. Subsequently, the decay rate of relativistic electrons is so slow that the peak remains over 104 cm-2\textperiodcenteredsr-1\textperiodcentereds-1 for about 30 days. The drift-resonance between ULF waves, which arose from high-speed solar wind and frequent impulses of solar wind dynamic pressure, and energetic electrons injected by substorms could be an important acceleration mechanism in this event. The local acceleration by whistler mode chorus could be another mechanism contributing to this enhancement. The plasmaspheric response to the interplanetary disturbances reveals that the enhanced outer zone is divided into two portions by the plasmapause. Accordingly, the slow loss rate in the plasmasphere due to hiss primarily contributed to the long-lived characteristic of this event. This event reveals that the outer zone population behaviors are dominated by the interplanetary variations together with the responses of geomagnetic field and plasmasphere to these variations. Yang, Xiao; Zhu, Guang; Zhang, Xiao; Sun, Yue; Liang, Jin; Wei, Xin; Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Published on: 10/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1002/2014JA019797 Geomagnetic storm/substorm; Interplanetary magnetic field; Plasmapause; Relativistic electron; Solar wind |
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The Evolving Space Weather System - Van Allen Probes Contribution The overarching goal and purpose of the study of space weather is clear - to understand and address the issues caused by solar disturbances on humans and technological systems. Space weather has evolved in the past few decades from a collection of concerned agencies and researchers to a critical function of the National Weather Service of NOAA. The general effects have also evolved from the well-known telegraph disruptions of the mid-1800\textquoterights to modern day disturbances of the electric power grid, communications and navigation, human spaceflight and spacecraft systems. The last two items in this list, and specifically the effects of penetrating radiation, were the impetus for the space weather broadcast implemented on NASA\textquoterights Van Allen Probes\textquoteright twin pair of satellites, launched in August of 2012 and orbiting directly through Earth\textquoterights severe radiation belts. The Van Allen Probes mission, formerly the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP, http://vanallenprobes.jhuapl.edu), were renamed soon after launch to honor the discoverer of Earth\textquoterights radiation belts at the beginning of the space age, the late James Van Allen (the spacecraft themselves are still referred to as RBSP-A and RBSP-B). The Van Allen Probes (Mauk et al., 2012 and other team contributions in the same special issue of Space Science Reviews, 2012) are one part of NASA\textquoterights Living With a Star (LWS, http://lws.gsfc.nasa.gov) program formulated to advance the scientific understanding of the connection between solar disturbances, the resulting heliospheric conditions and their effects on the geospace and Earth environment. Zanetti, L.; Mauk, B.; Fox, N.J.; Barnes, R.J.; Weiss, M.; Sotirelis, T.S.; Raouafi, N.-E.; Kessel, R.; Becker, H.; Published by: Space Weather Published on: 10/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1002/2014SW001108 |
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He ions contribute to Earth\textquoterights ring current energy and species population density and are important in understanding ion transport and charge exchange processes in the inner magnetosphere. He ion flux measurements made by the Van Allen Probes Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument are presented in this paper. Particular focus is centered on geomagnetically quiet intervals in late 2012 and 2013 that show the flux, L-shell, and energy (65 keV to 518 keV) morphology of ring current He ions between geomagnetic storm injection events. The overall He ion abundance during the first nine months of RBSPICE observations, the appearance of a persistent high energy, low L-shell He ion population, and the temporal evolution of this population all provide new insights into trapped ring current energy He ions. These data provide a unique resource that will be used to provide verifications of, and improvements to, models of He ion transport and loss in Earth\textquoterights ring current region. Gerrard, Andrew; Lanzerotti, Louis; Gkioulidou, Matina; Mitchell, Donald; Manweiler, Jerry; Bortnik, Jacob; Published by: Geophysical Research Letters Published on: 02/2014 YEAR: 2014 DOI: 10.1002/2013GL059175 |
| 2013 |
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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 losses. RBSPICE is a time-of-flight versus total energy instrument that measures ions over the energy range from \~20 keV to \~1 MeV. RBSPICE will also measure electrons over the energy range \~25 keV to \~1 MeV in order to provide instrument background information in the radiation belts. A description of the instrument and its data products are provided in this chapter. 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 |
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The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) and Space Weather Following the launch and commissioning of NASA\textquoterights Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) in 2012, space weather data will be generated and broadcast from the spacecraft in near real-time. The RBSP mission targets one part of the space weather chain: the very high energy electrons and ions magnetically trapped within Earth\textquoterights radiation belts. The understanding gained by RBSP will enable us to better predict the response of the radiation belts to solar storms in the future, and thereby protect space assets in the near-Earth environment. This chapter details the presently planned RBSP capabilities for generating and broadcasting near real-time space weather data, discusses the data products, the ground stations collecting the data, and the users/models that will incorporate the data into test-beds for radiation belt nowcasting and forecasting. Kessel, R.; Fox, N.; Weiss, M.; Published by: Space Science Reviews Published on: 11/2013 YEAR: 2013 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-012-9953-6 |
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