User menu

Accès à distance ? S'identifier sur le proxy UCLouvain

The effects of the big storm events in the first half of 2015 on the radiation belts observed by EPT/PROBA-V

Primary tabs

download
  • Open access
  • PDF
  • 14.24 M
Pierrard, Viviane [UCL] Lopez Rosson1, G. [IASB_BIRA]

With the energetic particle telescope (EPT) performing with direct electron and proton discrimination on board the ESA satellite PROBA-V, we analyze the highresolution measurements of the charged particle radiation environment at an altitude of 820 km for the year 2015. On 17 March 2015, a big geomagnetic storm event injected unusual fluxes up to low radial distances in the radiation belts. EPT electron measurements show a deep dropout at L>4 starting during the main phase of the storm, associated to the penetration of high energy fluxes at L<2 completely filling the slot region. After 10 days, the formation of a new slot around L D 2:8 for electrons of 500–600 keV separates the outer belt from the belt extending at other longitudes than the South Atlantic Anomaly. Two other major events appeared in January and June 2015, again with injections of electrons in the inner belt, contrary to what was observed in 2013 and 2014. These observations open many perspectives to better understand the source and loss mechanisms, and particularly concerning the formation of three belts.

Document type Article de périodique (Journal article) – Article de recherche
Access type Accès libre
Publication date 2016
Language Anglais
Journal information "Annales Geophysicae" - Vol. 34, no. 34, p. 75-84 (2016)
Peer reviewed yes
Publisher EditriceCompositori Srl
issn 0755-0685
Publication status Publié
Affiliation UCL - SST/ELI/ELIC - Earth & Climate
Keywords CISM:CECI ; Magnetospheric physics ; 1443
Links
  1. Baker, D. N., Kanekal, S. G., Hoxie, V. C., Henderson, M. G., Li, X., Spence, H. E., Elkington, S. R., Friedel, R. H. W., Goldstein, J., Hudson, M. K., Reeves, G. D., Thorne, R. M., Kletzing, C. A., and Claudepierre, S. G.: A long-lived relativistic electron storage ring embedded in Earth's outer Van Allen belt, Science, 340, 186–190, 2013.
  2. Baker, D. N., Jaynes, A. N., Hoxie, V. C., Thorne, R. M., Foster, J. C., Li, X., Fennell, J. F., Wygant, J. R., Kanekal, S. G., Erickson, P. J., Kurth, W., Li, W., Ma, Q., Schiller, Q., Blum, L., Malaspina, D. M., Gerrard, A., and Lanzerotti, L. J.: An impenetrable barrier to ultrarelativistic electrons in the Van Allen radition belts, Nature Letter, 515, 531–534, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13956, 2014.
  3. Benck, S., Mazzino, L., Cyamukungu, M., Cabrera, J., and Pierrard, V.: Low altitude energetic electron lifetimes after enhanced magnetic activity as deduced from SAC-C and DEMETER data, Ann. Geophys., 28, 849–859, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-28-849-2010, 2010.
  4. Benck, S., Cyamukungu, M., Cabrera, J., Mazzino, L., and Pierrard, V.: The Transient Observation-based Particle (TOP) model and its potential application in radiation effects evaluation, J. Space Weather Space Clim., 3, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1051/SWSC/2013024, 2013.
  5. Brautigam, D. S., Gussenhoven, M. S., and Mullen, E. G.: Quasi-static model of outer-zone electrons, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., NS-39-6, 1797, 1992.
  6. Claudepierre, S. G., O'Brien, T. P., Blake, J. B., Fennell, J. F., Roeder, J. L., Clemmons, J. H., Looper, M. D., Mazur, J. E., Mulligan-Skov, T., Spence, H. E., Reeves, G. D., Friedel, R. H. W., Henderson, M. G., and Larsen, B. A.: A background correction algorithm for Van Allen Probes MagEIS electron flux measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Space, 120, 5703–5727, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015ja021171, 2014.
  7. Cowen, R.: Ephemeral third ring of radiation makes appearance around Earth, Nature News, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2013.12529, 2013.
  8. Cyamukungu, M., Benck, S., Borisov, S., Bonnet, L., Grégoire, Gh., Cabrera, J., Desoete, B., Semaille, Ch., DeSaedeleer, J., Creve, G., VanRansbeek, E., Maes, J., Bonnewijn, S., Neefs, E., Pierrard, V., Lemaire, J., Moreau, D., Anciaux, M., Helderweirt, A., Litefti, K., Nieminen, P., Valtonen, E., Punkkinen, R., and Wojtek, H.: The Energetic Particle Telescope (EPT) on board Proba-V: description of a new science-class instrument for particle detection in space, IEEE Trans. Nuclear Sci., 61, 3667–3681, https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2014.2361955, 2014.
  9. Fennell, J. F., Claudepierre, S. G., Blake, J. B., O'Brien, T. P., Clemmons, J. H., Baker, D. N., Spence, H. E., and Reeves, G. D.: Van Allen Pobes show the inner radiation zone contains no MeV electrons: ECT/MagEIS data, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 1283–1289, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062874, 2015.
  10. Fung, S. F., Shao, X., and Tan, L. C.: Long term variations of the electron slot region and global radiation belt structure, Geophys. Res. Let., 33, L04105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024891, 2006.
  11. Glauert Sarah A., Calculation of pitch angle and energy diffusion coefficients with the PADIE code, 10.1029/2004ja010851
  12. Heynderickx, D., Kruglanski, M., Pierrard, V., Lemaire, J., Looper, M. D., and Blake, J. B.: A low altitude trapped proton model for solar minimum conditions based on SAMPEX/PET data, IEEE Trans. Nuclear Sci., 46, 1475–1480, 1999.
  13. Horne R. B., Glauert, S. A., Meredith, N. P., Boscher, D., Maget, V., Heynderickx, D., and Pitchford, D.: Space weather impacts on satellites and forecasting the Earth's electron radiation belts with SPACECAST, Space Weather, 11, 169–186, 2013.
  14. Hudson, M. K., Marchenko, V. A., Roth, I., Temerin, M., Blake, J. B., and Gussenhoven, M. S.: Radiation belt formation during storm sudden commencements and loss during main phase, Adv. Space Res., 214, 597–607, 1998.
  15. Lemaire, J. F., Heynderickx, D., and Baker, D. N. (Eds.): Radiation Belts, Models and Standards, Geophysical Monograph, AGU, 97, 1996.
  16. Li, X., Selesnick, R. S., Baker, D. N., Jaynes, A. N., Kanekal, S. G., Schiller, Q., Blum, L., Fennell, J., and Blake, J. B.: Upper limit on the inner radiation belt MeV electron intensity, J. Geophys. Res.-Space, 120, 1215–1228, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020777, 2015.
  17. Lyons, L. R. and Thorne, R. M.: Equilibrium structure of radiation belt electrons, J. Geophys. Res., 78, 2142–2149, https://doi.org/10.1029/JA078i013p02142, 1973.
  18. Lyons, L. R., Thorne, R. M., and Kennel, C. F.: Pitch-angle diffusion of radiation belt electrons within the plasmasphere, J. Geophys. Res., 77, 3455–3474, https://doi.org/10.1029/JA077i019p03455, 1972.
  19. McIlwain, C. E.: Coordinates for Mapping the Distribution of Magnetically Trapped Particles, J. Geophys. Res., 66, 3681–3691, 1961.
  20. Meredith Nigel P., Horne Richard B., Glauert Sarah A., Anderson Roger R., Slot region electron loss timescales due to plasmaspheric hiss and lightning-generated whistlers : SLOT REGION ELECTRON LOSS TIMESCALES, 10.1029/2007ja012413
  21. Pierrard, V. and Benck, S.: The Dynamics Of The Terrestrial Radiation Belts And Its Links To The Plasmasphere, in Space weather: the space environment, AIP Conf. Proc., 1500, 216, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4768769, 2012.
  22. Pierrard, V. and Borremans, K.: Fitting the AP8 spectra to determine the proton momentum distribution functions in space radiations, Radiat. Meas., 47, 401–405, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.04.002, 2012.
  23. Pierrard, V. and Lemaire, J.: Fitting the AE-8 energy spectra with two maxwellian functions, Radiat. Meas., 26, 333–337, 1996.
  24. Pierrard, V., Lopez Rosson, G., Borremans, K., Lemaire, J., Maes, J., Bonnewijn, S., Van Ransbeeck, E., Neefs, E., Cyamukungu, M., Benck, S., Bonnet, L., Borisov, S., Cabrera, J., Grégoire, G., Semaille, C., Creve, G., De Saedeleer, J., Desoete, B., Preud'homme, F., Anciaux, M., Helderweirt, A., Litefti, K., Brun, N., Pauwels, D., Quevrin, C., Moreau, D., Punkkinen, R., Valtonen, E., Wojtek, H., Nieminen, P.: The Energetic Particle Telescope: First results, Space Science Rev., 184, 87–106, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-014-0097-8, 2014.
  25. Reeves, G. D., McAdams, K. L., Friedel, R. H. W., and O'Brien, T. P.: Acceleration and loss of relativistic electrons during geomagnetic storms, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 36-1–36-4, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016513, 2003.
  26. Ripoll, J.-F., Chen, Y., Fennell, J. F., and Friedel, R. H. W.: On long decays of electrons in the vicinity of the slot region observed by HEO3, J. Geophys. Res.-Space, 119, 460–478, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020449, 2014.
  27. Sauvaud J.-A., Maggiolo R., Jacquey C., Parrot M., Berthelier J.-J., Gamble R. J., Rodger Craig J., Radiation belt electron precipitation due to VLF transmitters: Satellite observations, 10.1029/2008gl033194
  28. Shprits, Y. Y., Elkington, S. R., Meredith, N. P., and Subbotin, D. A.: Review of modeling of losses and sources of relativistic electrons in the outer belt I: Radial transport, J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 70, 1679–1693, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.06.008, 2008a.
  29. Shprits, Y. Y., Elkington, S. R., Meredith, N. P., and Subbotin, D. A.: Review of modeling of losses and sources of relativistic electrons in the outer belt II: Local acceleration and loss, J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 70, 1694–1713, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.06.014, 2008b.
  30. Shprits, Y. Y., Subbotin, D., Drozdov, A., Usanova, M. E., Kellerman, A., Orlova, K., Baker, D. N., Turner, D. L., and Kim, K.-C.: Unusual stable trapping of the ultrarelativistic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts, Nature Phys., 9, 699–703, 2013.
  31. Turner, D. L., Shprits, Y., Hartinger, M., and Angelopoulos, V.: Explaining sudden losses of outer radiation belt electrons during geomagnetic storms, Nature Phys., 8, 208–212, https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2185, 2012.
  32. Van Allen, J. A. and Frank, L. A.: Radiation Measurements to 658 300 Kilometers with Pioneer IV, Nature, 184, 219–224, 1959.
  33. Vette, J. I.: The AE-8 Trapped Electron Model Environment, NSSDC/WDC-A-R&amp;S 91-24, 1991.
Bibliographic reference Pierrard, Viviane ; Lopez Rosson1, G.. The effects of the big storm events in the first half of 2015 on the radiation belts observed by EPT/PROBA-V. In: Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 34, no. 34, p. 75-84 (2016)
Permanent URL http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/171442