Evolution and slow decay of an unusual narrow ring of relativistic electrons near L ~ 3.2 following the September 2012 magnetic storm

R. M Thorne; D. N Baker; C. A Kletzing; W Li; W. S Kurth; B Ni; G. B Hospodarsky; Q Ma; J Bortnik; H. E Spence; G. D Reeves; M. G Henderson; D Turner; V Angelopoulos

doi:10.1002/grl.50627

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Evolution and slow decay of an unusual narrow ring of relativistic electrons near L ~ 3.2 following the September 2012 magnetic storm

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Evolution and slow decay of an unusual narrow ring of relativistic electrons near L ~ 3.2 following the September 2012 magnetic storm

R. M Thorne, D. N Baker, C. A Kletzing, W Li, W. S Kurth, B Ni, G. B Hospodarsky, Q Ma, J Bortnik, H. E Spence, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.40(14), pp.3507-3511

07/28/2013

DOI: 10.1002/grl.50627

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Abstract

A quantitative analysis is performed on the decay of an unusual ring of relativistic electrons between 3 and 3.5 RE, which was observed by the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope instrument on the Van Allen probes. The ring formed on 3 September 2012 during the main phase of a magnetic storm due to the partial depletion of the outer radiation belt for L > 3.5, and this remnant belt of relativistic electrons persisted at energies above 2 MeV, exhibiting only slow decay, until it was finally destroyed during another magnetic storm on 1 October. This long‐term stability of the relativistic electron ring was associated with the rapid outward migration and maintenance of the plasmapause to distances greater than L = 4. The remnant ring was thus immune from the dynamic process, which caused rapid rebuilding of the outer radiation belt at L > 4, and was only subject to slow decay due to pitch angle scattering by plasmaspheric hiss on timescales exceeding 10–20 days for electron energies above 3 MeV. At lower energies, the decay is much more rapid, consistent with the absence of a long‐duration electron ring at energies below 2 MeV. Key Points Relativistic electrons injected into the plasmasphere have long lifetimes The loss rate is controlled by scattering by whistler‐mode hiss Isolated rings of relativistic electrons form during magnetic storms

plasmaspheric hiss

relativistic electrons

Details

Title: Subtitle: Evolution and slow decay of an unusual narrow ring of relativistic electrons near L ~ 3.2 following the September 2012 magnetic storm
Creators: R. M Thorne - University of California, Los Angeles
D. N Baker - University of Colorado Boulder
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
W Li - University of California, Los Angeles
W. S Kurth - University of Iowa
B Ni - University of California, Los Angeles
G. B Hospodarsky - University of Iowa
Q Ma - University of California, Los Angeles
J Bortnik - University of California, Los Angeles
H. E Spence - University of New Hampshire
G. D Reeves - Los Alamos National Laboratory
M. G Henderson - Los Alamos National Laboratory
D Turner - University of California, Los Angeles
V Angelopoulos - University of California, Los Angeles
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.40(14), pp.3507-3511
DOI: 10.1002/grl.50627
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Number of pages: 5
Grant note: EMFISIS sub‐award (1001057397:01) ECT sub‐award (13‐041) JHU/APL (967399 and 921647)
Language: English
Date published: 07/28/2013
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199929702771

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