Statistical Comparison of Electron Loss and Enhancement in the Outer Radiation Belt During Storms

Walton, S. D., Forsyth, C., Rae, Jonathan, Meredith, N. P., Sandhu, Jasmine, Walach, M.‐T. and Murphy, Kyle (2022) Statistical Comparison of Electron Loss and Enhancement in the Outer Radiation Belt During Storms. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 127 (5). e2021JA030069. ISSN 2169-9380

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021ja030069

Abstract

The near‐relativistic electron population in the outer Van Allen radiation belt is highly dynamic and strongly coupled to geomagnetic activity such as storms and substorms, which are driven by the interaction of the magnetosphere with the solar wind. The energy, content, and spatial extent of electrons in the outer radiation belt can vary on timescales of hours to days, dictated by the continuously evolving influence of acceleration and loss processes. While net changes in the electron population are directly observable, the relative influence of different processes is far from fully understood. Using a continuous 12 year data set from the Proton Electron Telescope on board the Solar Anomalous Magnetospheric Particle Explorer, we statistically compare the relative variations of trapped electrons to those in the bounce loss cone (BLC). Our results show that there is a proportional increase in flux entering the BLC outside the plasmapause during storm main phase and early recovery phase. Loss enhancement is sustained on the dawnside throughout the recovery phase while loss on the duskside is enhanced around minimum Sym‐H and quickly diminishes. Spatial variations are also examined in relation to geomagnetic activity, making comparisons to possible causal wave modes such as whistler‐mode chorus and plasmaspheric hiss.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding information: The authors would like to thank the many individuals involved in the operation of SAMPEX over 20 yr. S. D. W. was supported by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) studentship NE/T014164/1. C. F. was supported by NERC Independent Research Fellow-ship NE/N014480/1. C. F. and I. J. R. were supported by NERC Highlight Topic Grant NE/P017185/1 (Rad-Sat) and NERC SWIMMR Grant NE/V002554/1. N. P. M. was supported by NERC Highlight Topic Grant NE/P01738X/1 (Rad-Sat) and NERC grant NE/V00249X/1 (Sat-Risk) and NERC grant NE/R016038/1. I. J. R., J. K. S., and K. R. M. were supported by NERC grants NE/P017185/2 and NE/V002554/2 and STFC grant ST/V006320/1. M.-T. W. was funded by NERC (Project codes NE/P001556/1 and NE/T000937/1).
Subjects: F300 Physics
F500 Astronomy
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User: John Coen
Date Deposited: 29 Apr 2022 08:03
Last Modified: 29 Apr 2022 08:15
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/48995

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