Bibliography

Observations and simulations of dropout events and flux decays in October 2013: Comparing MEO equatorial with LEO polar orbit

Abstract We compare ESA PROBA-V observations of electron flux at LEO with those from the NASA Van Allen Probes mostly at MEO for October 2013. Dropouts are visible at all energy during 4 storms from both satellites. Equatorial trapped electron fluxes are higher than at LEO by 102 (<1 MeV) to 105 (>2.5 MeV). We observe a quite isotropic structure of the outer belt during quiet times, contrary to the inner belt, and pitch angle dependence of high energy injection. We find very good overlap of the outer belt at MEO and LEO at ∼0.5 MeV. We use test-particle simulations of the energetic electrons trapped in the terrestrial magnetic field to study the outer radiation belt electron flux changes during geomagnetic storms. We show that the Dst (Disturbance storm time) effect during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm results in a betatron mechanism causing outward radial drift and a deceleration of the electrons. This outward drift motion is energy independent, pitch angle dependent, and represent a significant distance (∼1 L-shell at L=5 for moderate storms). At fixed L-shell, this causes a decay of the LEO precipitating flux (adiabatic outward motion), followed by a return to the normal state (adiabatic inward motion) during main and recovery phases. Dst effect, associated with magnetopause shadowing and radial diffusion can explain the main characteristics of outer radiation belt electron dropouts in October 2013. We also use Fokker-Planck simulations with event-driven diffusion coefficients at high temporal resolution, in order to distinguish instantaneous loss from the gradual scattering that depopulates the slot region and the outer belt after storms. Simulations reproduce the slot formation and the gradual loss in the outer belt. The typical energy-dependence of these losses leads to the absence of scattering for relativistic and ultra-relativistic electrons in the outer belt, oppositely to dropouts.

Pierrard, V.; Ripoll, J.-F.; Cunningham, G.; Botek, E.; Santolik, O.; Thaller, S.; Kurth, W.; Cosmides, M.;

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

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028850

Radiation belts; relativistic electrons; Geomagnetic storms; energetic particles; Van Allen Probes

Defining Radiation Belt Enhancement Events Based on Probability Distributions

We present a methodology to define moderate, strong, and intense space weather events based on probability distributions. We have illustrated this methodology using a long-duration, uniform data set of 1.8–3.5 MeV electron fluxes from multiple LANL geosynchronous satellite instruments, but a strength of this methodology is that it can be applied uniformly to heterogeneous data sets. It allows quantitative comparison of data sets with different energies, units, orbits, and so forth. The methodology identifies a range of times, “events,” using variable flux thresholds to determine average event occurrence in arbitrary 11-year intervals (“cycles”). We define moderate, strong, and intense events as those that occur 100, 10, and 1 time per cycle and identify the flux thresholds that produce those occurrence frequencies. The methodology does not depend on any ancillary data set (e.g., solar wind or geomagnetic conditions). We show event probabilities using GOES > 2 MeV fluxes and compare them against event probabilities using LANL 1.8–3.5 MeV fluxes. We present some examples of how the methodology picks out moderate, strong, and intense events and how those events are distributed in time: 1989 through 2018, which includes the declining phases of solar cycles 22, 23, and 24. We also provide an illustrative comparison of moderate and strong events identified in the geosynchronous data with Van Allen Probes observations across all L-shells. We also provide a catalog of start and stop times of moderate, strong, and intense events that can be used for future studies.

Reeves, Geoffrey; Vandegriff, Elizabeth; Niehof, Jonathan; Morley, Steven; Cunningham, Gregory; Henderson, Michael; Larsen, Brian;

Published by: Space Weather      Published on: 06/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020SW002528

Radiation belts; methods; geosynchronous; energetic particles; hazards; Solar Cycle; Van Allen Probes

Comparison of Van Allen Probes Energetic Electron Data with Corresponding GOES-15 Measurements: 2012-2018

Baker, D.N.; Zhao, H.; Li, X.; Kanekal, S.G.; Jaynes, A.N.; Kress, B.T.; Rodriguez, J.V.; Singer, H.J.; Claudepierre, S.G.; Fennell, J.F.; Hoxie, V.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 11/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2019JA027331

energetic particles; Magnetosphere:Inner; Magnetospheric configuration; Radiation belts; Space weather; Van Allen Probes

The Response of Earth\textquoterights Electron Radiation Belts to Geomagnetic Storms: Statistics From the Van Allen Probes Era Including Effects From Different Storm Drivers

A statistical study was conducted of Earth\textquoterights radiation belt electron response to geomagnetic storms using NASA\textquoterights Van Allen Probes mission. Data for electrons with energies ranging from 30 keV to 6.3 MeV were included and examined as a function of L-shell, energy, and epoch time during 110 storms with SYM-H <=-50 nT during September 2012 to September 2017 (inclusive). The radiation belt response revealed clear energy and L-shell dependencies, with tens of keV electrons enhanced at all L-shells (2.5 <= L <= 6) in all storms during the storm commencement and main phase and then quickly decaying away during the early recovery phase, low hundreds of keV electrons enhanced at lower L-shells (~3 <= L <= ~4) in upward of 90\% of all storms and then decaying gradually during the recovery phase, and relativistic electrons throughout the outer belt showing main phase dropouts with subsequent and generally unpredictable levels of replenishment during the recovery phase. Compared to prestorm levels, electrons with energies >1 MeV also revealed a marked increase in likelihood of a depletion at all L-shells through the outer belt (3.5 <= L <= 6). Additional statistics were compiled revealing the storm time morphology of the radiation belts, confirming the aforementioned qualitative behavior. Considering storm drivers in the solar wind: storms driven by coronal mass ejection (CME) shocks/sheaths and CME ejecta only are most likely to result in a depletion of >1-MeV electrons throughout the outer belt, while storms driven by full CMEs and stream interaction regions are most likely to produce an enhancement of MeV electrons at lower (L < ~5) and higher (L > ~4.5) L-shells, respectively. CME sheaths intriguingly result in a distinct enhancement of ~1-MeV electrons around L~5.5, and on average, CME sheaths and stream interaction regions result in double outer belt structures.

Turner, D.; Kilpua, E.; Hietala, H.; Claudepierre, S.; O\textquoterightBrien, T.; Fennell, J.; Blake, J.; Jaynes, A.; Kanekal, S.; Baker, D.; Spence, H.; Ripoll, J.-F.; Reeves, G.;

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

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA026066

energetic particles; Geomagnetic storms; inner magnetosphere; Radiation belts; relativistic electrons; Van Allen Probes; wave-particle interactions

Pitch Angle Scattering and Loss of Radiation Belt Electrons in Broadband Electromagnetic Waves

A magnetic conjunction between Van Allen Probes spacecraft and the Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL) reveals the simultaneous occurrence of broadband Alfv\ enic fluctuations and multi-timescale modulation of enhanced atmospheric X-ray bremsstrahlung emission. The properties of the Alfv\ enic fluctuations are used to build a model for pitch angle scattering in the outer radiation belt on electron gyro-radii scale field structures. It is shown that this scattering may lead to the transport of electrons into the loss cone over an energy range from hundreds of keV to multi-MeV on diffusive timescales on the order of hours. This process may account for modulation of atmospheric X-ray fluxes observed from balloons and constitute a significant loss process for the radiation belts.

Chaston, C.; Bonnell, J.; Halford, A.; Reeves, G.; Baker, D.; Kletzing, C.; Wygant, J.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 09/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018GL079527

Alfven waves; drift-bounce resonance; energetic particles; Geomagnetic storms; pitch-angle scattering; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes

The Response of the Energy Content of the Outer Electron Radiation Belt to Geomagnetic Storms

Using the data from the Van Allen Probe-A spacecraft, the variability of the total outer radiation belt (2.5300 keV) is investigated for the first time during 51 isolated storms spanning from October 2012 to May 2017. The statistical results show that the TRBEEC exhibits no-change in 20\% of the storms and gets enhanced during 80\% of them. The sub-relativistic electrons (300-500 keV) and relativistic electrons (0.5-2.0 MeV) equally contribute to the TRBEEC during the main phases, while in the recovery phases, the relativistic electrons contribute up to 80\% of the TRBEEC. The results of the superposed epoch analysis of the solar wind parameters and geomagnetic indices indicate that the TRBEEC enhancement events preferably occur during the prolonged southward IMF period when the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling is more efficient. Meanwhile, the high AE index with intense injections of several hundreds of keV \textquotedblleftseed\textquotedblright electrons also favors the increase of the TRBEEC. Case study shows that there is a localized growing PSD (phase space density) peak around L*=4.3 and the chorus wave energy and the gain of TRBEEC are on the same order of magnitude, which may suggest that the enhancement of the TRBEEC is the consequence of the chorus acceleration. Understanding the energy budget of the outer zone electrons can provide more insight into the energy transfer from plasma waves to the energetic electron population, especially for revealing the underlying physics of the energization of outer radiation belt electrons via chorus wave acceleration.

Xiong, Ying; Xie, Lun; Chen, Lunjin; Ni, Binbin; Fu, Suiyan; Pu, Zuyin;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025475

Chorus wave; energetic particles; energy content; magnetic storm; outer radiation belt; Van Allen Probes

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 series of at least six different electron injections was observed throughout the system. Intriguingly, only one corresponding ion injection was clearly observed. All ion and electron injections were observed at < 600 keV only. MMS reveals detailed substructure within the largest electron injection. A relationship between injected electrons with energy < 60 keV and enhanced whistler-mode chorus wave activity is also established from Van Allen Probes and MMS. Drift mapping using a simplified magnetic field model provides estimates of the dispersionless injection boundary locations as a function of universal time, magnetic local time, and L-shell. The analysis reveals that at least five electron injections, which were localized in magnetic local time, preceded a larger injection of both electrons and ions across nearly the entire nightside of the magnetosphere near geosynchronous orbit. The larger, ion and electron injection did not penetrate to L < 6.6, but several of the smaller, electron injections penetrated to L < 6.6. Due to the discrepancy between the number, penetration depth, and complexity of electron vs. ion injections, this event presents challenges to the current conceptual models of energetic particle injections.

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

Current energetic particle sensors

Several energetic particle sensors designed to make measurements in the current decade are described and their technology and capabilities discussed and demonstrated. Most of these instruments are already on orbit or approaching launch. These include the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometers (MagEIS) and the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) that are flying on the Van Allen Probes, the Fly\textquoterights Eye Electron Proton Spectrometers (FEEPS) flying on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, and Dosimeters flying on the AC6 Cubesat mission. We focus mostly on the electron measurement capability of these sensors while providing summary comments of their ion measurement capabilities if they have any.

Fennell, J.; Blake, J.; Claudepierre, S.; Mazur, J.; Kanekal, S.; O\textquoterightBrien, P.; Baker, D.; Crain, W.; Mabry, D.; Clemmons, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022588

energetic particles; sensors; Van Allen Probes

The permeability of the magnetopause to a multispecies substorm injection of energetic particles

Leakage of ions from the magnetosphere into the magnetosheath remains an important topic in understanding the plasma physics of Earth\textquoterights magnetopause and the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere. Here using sophisticated instrumentation from two spacecraft (Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment on the Van Allen Probes and Energetic Ion Spectrometer on the Magnetospheric Multiscale) spaced uniquely near and outside the dayside magnetopause, we are able to determine the escape mechanisms for large gyroradii oxygen ions and much smaller gyroradii hydrogen and helium ions. The oxygen ions are entrained on the magnetosphere boundary, while the hydrogen and helium ions appear to escape along reconnected field lines. These results have important implications for not only Earth\textquoterights magnetosphere but also other solar system magnetospheres.

Westlake, J.; Cohen, I.; Mauk, B.; Anderson, B.; Mitchell, D.; Gkioulidou, M.; Walsh, B.; Lanzerotti, L.; Strangeway, R.; Russell, C.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 09/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL070189

energetic particles; magnetopause; magnetosheath; MMSEPD; Van Allen Probes

Compressional ULF wave modulation of energetic particles in the inner magnetosphere

We present Van Allen Probes observations of modulations in the flux of very energetic electrons up to a few MeV and protons between 1200 - 1400 UT on February 19th, 2014. During this event the spacecraft were in the dayside magnetosphere at L*≈5.5. The modulations extended across a wide range of particle energies, from 79.80 keV to 2.85 MeV for electrons and from 82.85 keV to 636.18 keV for protons. The fluxes of π/2 pitch angle particles were observed to attain maximum values simultaneously with the ULF compressional magnetic field component reaching a minimum. We use peak-to-valley ratios to quantify the strength of the modulation effect, finding that the modulation is larger at higher energies than at lower energies. It is shown that the compressional wave modulation of the particle distribution is due to the mirror effect, which can trap relativistic electrons efficiently for energies up to 2.85 MeV, and trap protons up to ≈600 keV. Larger peak-to-valley ratios at higher energies also attributed to the mirror effect. Finally, we suggest that protons with energies higher than 636.18 keV can not be trapped by the compressional ULF wave efficiently due to the finite Larmor radius effect.

Liu, H.; Zong, Q.-G.; Zhou, X.-Z.; Fu, S; Rankin, R.; Wang, L.-H.; Yuan, C.; Wang, Y.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; Kletzing, C.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022706

Compressional ULF wave; energetic particles; Magnetosphere; Mirror effect; Modulation; relativistic electrons; Van Allen Probes

Energy dependent dynamics of keV to MeV electrons in the inner zone, outer zone, and slot regions.

We present observations of the radiation belts from the HOPE and MagEIS particle detectors on the Van Allen Probes satellites that illustrate the energy-dependence and L-shell dependence of radiation belt enhancements and decays. We survey events in 2013 and analyze an event on March 1 in more detail. The observations show: (a) At all L-shells, lower-energy electrons are enhanced more often than higher energies; (b) Events that fill the slot region are more common at lower energies; (c) Enhancements of electrons in the inner zone are more common at lower energies; and (d) Even when events do not fully fill the slot region, enhancements at lower-energies tend to extend to lower L-shells than higher energies. During enhancement events the outer zone extends to lower L-shells at lower energies while being confined to higher L-shells at higher energies. The inner zone shows the opposite with an outer boundary at higher L-shells for lower energies. Both boundaries are nearly straight in log(energy) vs. L-shell space. At energies below a few hundred keV radiation belt electron penetration through the slot region into the inner zone is commonplace but the number and frequency of \textquotedblleftslot filling\textquotedblright events decreases with increasing energy. The inner zone is enhanced only at energies that penetrate through the slot. Energy- and L-shell dependent losses (that are consistent with whistler hiss interactions) return the belts to more quiescent conditions.

Reeves, Geoffrey; Friedel, Reiner; Larsen, Brian; Skoug, Ruth; Funsten, Herbert; Claudepierre, Seth; Fennell, Joseph; Turner, Drew; Denton, Mick; Spence, H.; Blake, Bernard; Baker, D.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 12/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021569

Acceleration; energetic particles; Inner zone; Outer Zone; Radiation belts; Slot region; Van Allen Probes

Interactions of energetic electrons with ULF waves triggered by interplanetary shock: Van Allen Probes observations in the magnetotail

We present in situ observations of a shock-induced substorm-like event on 13 April 2013 observed by the newly launched Van Allen twin probes. Substorm-like electron injections with energy of 30\textendash500 keV were observed in the region from L\~5.2 to 5.5 immediately after the shock arrival (followed by energetic electron drift echoes). Meanwhile, the electron flux was clearly and strongly varying on the ULF wave time scale. It is found that both toroidal and poloidal mode ULF waves with a period of 150 s emerged following the magnetotail magnetic field reconfiguration after the interplanetary (IP) shock passage. The poloidal mode is more intense than the toroidal mode. The 90\textdegree phase shift between the poloidal mode Br and Ea suggests the standing poloidal waves in the Northern Hemisphere. Furthermore, the energetic electron flux modulations indicate that the azimuthal wave number is \~14. Direct evidence of drift resonance between the injected electrons and the excited poloidal ULF wave has been obtained. The resonant energy is estimated to be between 150 keV and 230 keV. Two possible scenaria on ULF wave triggering are discussed: vortex-like flow structure-driven field line resonance and ULF wave growth through drift resonance. It is found that the IP shock may trigger intense ULF wave and energetic electron behavior at L\~3 to 6 on the nightside, while the time profile of the wave is different from dayside cases.

Hao, Y.; Zong, Q.-G.; Wang, Y.; Zhou, X.-Z.; Zhang, Hui; Fu, S; Pu, Z; Spence, H.; Blake, J.; Bonnell, J.; Wygant, J.; Kletzing, C.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 10/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020023

energetic particles; interplanetary shock; magnetotail ULF wave; poloidal and toroidal mode; Van Allen Probes; wave-particle interactions