Journal article
Simulation of radiation belt wave-particle interactions in an MHD-particle framework
Frontiers in astronomy and space sciences, Vol.10, 1239160
09/26/2023
DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2023.1239160
Abstract
In this paper we describe K2, a comprehensive simulation model of Earth’s radiation belts that includes a wide range of relevant physical processes. Global MHD simulations are combined with guiding-center test-particle methods to model interactions with ultra low-frequency (ULF) waves, substorm injections, convective transport, drift-shell splitting, drift-orbit bifurcations, and magnetopause shadowing, all in self-consistent MHD fields. Simulation of local acceleration and pitch-angle scattering due to cyclotron-scale interactions is incorporated by including stochastic differential equation (SDE) methods in the MHD-particle framework. The SDEs are driven by event-specific bounce-averaged energy and pitch-angle diffusion coefficients. We present simulations of electron phase-space densities during a simplified particle acceleration event based on the 17 March 2013 event observed by the Van Allen Probes, with a focus on demonstrating the capabilities of the K2 model. The relative wave-particle effects of global scale ULF waves and very-low frequency (VLF) whistler-mode chorus waves are compared, and we show that the primary acceleration appears to be from the latter. We also show that the enhancement with both ULF and VLF processes included exceeds that of VLF waves alone, indicating a synergistic combination of energization and transport processes may be important.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Simulation of radiation belt wave-particle interactions in an MHD-particle framework
- Creators
- Anthony A. Chan - Rice UniversityScot R. Elkington - University of Colorado BoulderWilliam J. Longley - Rice UniversitySuhail A. Aldhurais - Rice UniversityShah S. Alam - Rice UniversityJay M. Albert - United States Air Force Research LaboratoryAllison N. Jaynes - University of IowaDavid M. Malaspina - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsQianli Ma - Boston UniversityWen Li - Boston University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in astronomy and space sciences, Vol.10, 1239160
- DOI
- 10.3389/fspas.2023.1239160
- ISSN
- 2296-987X
- eISSN
- 2296-987X
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100016465, name: Science Mission Directorate
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/26/2023
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984473944102771
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