A Long-Lived Relativistic Electron Storage Ring Embedded in Earth’s Outer Van Allen Belt

D. N Baker; S. G Kanekal; V. C Hoxie; M. G Henderson; X Li; H. E Spence; S. R Elkington; R. H. W Friedel; J Goldstein; M. K Hudson; G. D Reeves; R. M Thorne; C. A Kletzing; S. G Claudepierre

doi:10.1126/science.1233518

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A Long-Lived Relativistic Electron Storage Ring Embedded in Earth’s Outer Van Allen Belt

Journal article

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A Long-Lived Relativistic Electron Storage Ring Embedded in Earth’s Outer Van Allen Belt

D. N Baker, S. G Kanekal, V. C Hoxie, M. G Henderson, X Li, H. E Spence, S. R Elkington, R. H. W Friedel, J Goldstein, M. K Hudson, …

Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.340(6129), pp.186-190

04/12/2013

DOI: 10.1126/science.1233518

PMID: 23450000

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https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1221156View

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Abstract

Since their discovery more than 50 years ago, Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts have been considered to consist of two distinct zones of trapped, highly energetic charged particles. The outer zone is composed predominantly of megaelectron volt (MeV) electrons that wax and wane in intensity on time scales ranging from hours to days, depending primarily on external forcing by the solar wind. The spatially separated inner zone is composed of commingled high-energy electrons and very energetic positive ions (mostly protons), the latter being stable in intensity levels over years to decades. In situ energy-specific and temporally resolved spacecraft observations reveal an isolated third ring, or torus, of high-energy (>2 MeV) electrons that formed on 2 September 2012 and persisted largely unchanged in the geocentric radial range of 3.0 to ~3.5 Earth radii for more than 4 weeks before being disrupted (and virtually annihilated) by a powerful interplanetary shock wave passage.

Details

Title: Subtitle: A Long-Lived Relativistic Electron Storage Ring Embedded in Earth’s Outer Van Allen Belt
Creators: D. N Baker - University of Colorado Boulder
S. G Kanekal - Goddard Space Flight Center
V. C Hoxie - University of Colorado Boulder
M. G Henderson - Los Alamos National Laboratory
X Li - University of Colorado Boulder
H. E Spence - University of New Hampshire
S. R Elkington - University of Colorado Boulder
R. H. W Friedel - Los Alamos National Laboratory
J Goldstein - Southwest Research Institute
M. K Hudson - Dartmouth College
G. D Reeves - Los Alamos National Laboratory
R. M Thorne - University of California, Los Angeles
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
S. G Claudepierre - The Aerospace Corporation
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.340(6129), pp.186-190
DOI: 10.1126/science.1233518
PMID: 23450000
NLM abbreviation: Science
ISSN: 0036-8075
eISSN: 1095-9203
Language: English
Date published: 04/12/2013
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199717402771

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