Journal article
Peculiar pitch angle distribution of relativistic electrons in the inner radiation belt and slot region
Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(7), pp.2250-2257
04/16/2014
DOI: 10.1002/2014GL059725
Abstract
The relativistic electrons in the inner radiation belt have received little attention in the past due to sparse measurements and unforgiving contamination from the inner belt protons. The high‐quality measurements of the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer instrument onboard Van Allen Probes provide a great opportunity to investigate the dynamics of relativistic electrons in the low L region. In this letter, we report the newly unveiled pitch angle distribution (PAD) of the energetic electrons with minima at 90° near the magnetic equator in the inner belt and slot region. Such a PAD is persistently present throughout the inner belt and appears in the slot region during storms. One hypothesis for 90° minimum PADs is that off 90° electrons are preferentially heated by chorus waves just outside the plasmapause (which can be at very low L during storms) and/or fast magnetosonic waves which exist both inside and outside the plasmasphere.
Key Points
Peculiar pitch angle distribution in the inner belt and slot region is reported
Pitch angle distribution with minimum at 90° persists in inner belt
Chorus/fast magnetosonic wave heating is suggested as a possible mechanism
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Peculiar pitch angle distribution of relativistic electrons in the inner radiation belt and slot region
- Creators
- H Zhao - University of Colorado BoulderA. N Jaynes - University of Colorado BoulderX Li - University of Colorado BoulderD. N Baker - University of Colorado BoulderJ. B Blake - The Aerospace CorporationJ. F Fennell - The Aerospace CorporationS. G Claudepierre - The Aerospace CorporationD. M Malaspina - University of Colorado BoulderS. G Kanekal - Goddard Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(7), pp.2250-2257
- DOI
- 10.1002/2014GL059725
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 8
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/16/2014
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984200046802771
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