Journal article
Prompt injections of highly relativistic electrons induced by interplanetary shocks: A statistical study of Van Allen Probes observations
Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(24), pp.12,317-12,324
12/28/2016
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL071628
Abstract
We conduct a statistical study on the sudden response of outer radiation belt electrons due to interplanetary (IP) shocks during the Van Allen Probes era, i.e., 2012 to 2015. Data from the Relativistic Electron‐Proton Telescope instrument on board Van Allen Probes are used to investigate the highly relativistic electron response (E > 1.8 MeV) within the first few minutes after shock impact. We investigate the relationship of IP shock parameters, such as Mach number, with the highly relativistic electron response, including spectral properties and radial location of the shock‐induced injection. We find that the driving solar wind structure of the shock does not affect occurrence for enhancement events, 25% of IP shocks are associated with prompt energization, and 14% are associated with MeV electron depletion. Parameters that represent IP shock strength are found to correlate best with highest levels of energization, suggesting that shock strength may play a key role in the severity of the enhancements. However, not every shock results in an enhancement, indicating that magnetospheric preconditioning may be required.
Key Points
IP shocks can produce immediate, although uncommon, enhancements or depletions of Earth's ultrarelativistic radiation belt electrons
Shock strength is related to the strength of the electron enhancements, but a strong shock is not sufficient to produce them
Driving solar wind structures do not affect probability of observation; depletion events are favorable at L > 5 and enhancement events at L < 5
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Prompt injections of highly relativistic electrons induced by interplanetary shocks: A statistical study of Van Allen Probes observations
- Creators
- Q Schiller - Goddard Space Flight CenterS. G Kanekal - Goddard Space Flight CenterL. K Jian - University of Maryland, College ParkX Li - University of Colorado BoulderA Jones - Goddard Space Flight CenterD. N Baker - University of Colorado BoulderA Jaynes - University of Colorado BoulderH. E Spence - University of New Hampshire
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(24), pp.12,317-12,324
- DOI
- 10.1002/2016GL071628
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 8
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/28/2016
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984200038902771
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