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Wave acceleration of electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts

Author

Listed:
  • Richard B. Horne

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Richard M. Thorne

    (University of California Los Angeles)

  • Yuri Y. Shprits

    (University of California Los Angeles)

  • Nigel P. Meredith

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Sarah A. Glauert

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Andy J. Smith

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Shrikanth G. Kanekal

    (University of Colorado)

  • Daniel N. Baker

    (University of Colorado)

  • Mark J. Engebretson

    (Augsburg College)

  • Jennifer L. Posch

    (Augsburg College)

  • Maria Spasojevic

    (Stanford University)

  • Umran S. Inan

    (Stanford University)

  • Jolene S. Pickett

    (University of Iowa)

  • Pierrette M. E. Decreau

    (LPCE)

Abstract

Belting along The Van Allen radiation belts are regions of space encircling the Earth where energetic particles from the solar wind are trapped by Earth's magnetic field. The high energies of these particles — millions of electron volts — make the belts a hazard to spacecraft. A better understanding of the mechanisms that accelerate particles to such high energies will make it easier to predict periods of enhanced risk for satellites, and a recent rare event provided an opportunity to test current models. The ‘Halloween’ solar storms of 2003 disrupted GPS and communications satellites, short-wave radio signals and power grids and caused red auroras as far south as Florida. In space, the outer of the two radiation belts was depleted, then reformed closer to Earth. Electromagnetic waves were seen to be the dominant process involved in accelerating electrons back up to speed, not the radial diffusion that had previously been suspected.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard B. Horne & Richard M. Thorne & Yuri Y. Shprits & Nigel P. Meredith & Sarah A. Glauert & Andy J. Smith & Shrikanth G. Kanekal & Daniel N. Baker & Mark J. Engebretson & Jennifer L. Posch & Maria, 2005. "Wave acceleration of electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts," Nature, Nature, vol. 437(7056), pages 227-230, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:437:y:2005:i:7056:d:10.1038_nature03939
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03939
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    Cited by:

    1. N. Kitamura & T. Amano & Y. Omura & S. A. Boardsen & D. J. Gershman & Y. Miyoshi & M. Kitahara & Y. Katoh & H. Kojima & S. Nakamura & M. Shoji & Y. Saito & S. Yokota & B. L. Giles & W. R. Paterson & C, 2022. "Direct observations of energy transfer from resonant electrons to whistler-mode waves in magnetosheath of Earth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Khattak, M. Yousaf & Masood, W. & Jahangir, R. & Siddiq, M. & Alyousef, Haifa A. & El-Tantawy, S.A., 2022. "Interaction of ion-acoustic solitons for multi-dimensional Zakharov Kuznetsov equation in Van Allen radiation belts," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    3. T. A. Daggitt & R. B. Horne & S. A. Glauert & G. Zanna & J. M. Albert, 2024. "Chorus wave power at the strong diffusion limit overcomes electron losses due to strong diffusion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Haruhiko Saitoh & Masaki Nishiura & Naoki Kenmochi & Zensho Yoshida, 2024. "Experimental study on chorus emission in an artificial magnetosphere," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Shangchun Teng & Yifan Wu & Yuki Harada & Jacob Bortnik & Fulvio Zonca & Liu Chen & Xin Tao, 2023. "Whistler-mode chorus waves at Mars," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Xiao-Jia Zhang & Anton Artemyev & Vassilis Angelopoulos & Ethan Tsai & Colin Wilkins & Satoshi Kasahara & Didier Mourenas & Shoichiro Yokota & Kunihiro Keika & Tomoaki Hori & Yoshizumi Miyoshi & Iku S, 2022. "Superfast precipitation of energetic electrons in the radiation belts of the Earth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.

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