Journal article
Statistics and Empirical Models of the Plasmasphere Boundaries From the Van Allen Probes for Radiation Belt Physics
Geophysical research letters, Vol.49(21), e2022GL101402
11/16/2022
DOI: 10.1029/2022GL101402
Abstract
We deduce the electron plasma density from the NASA Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves and Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science measurements and extract the plasmasphere boundaries throughout 2012-2019. We use the gradient method for locating the plasmapause at L-pp and the 100 cm(-3) density threshold for the plasmasphere outer edge at L-100. We show how, where, and when both L-pp and L-100 coincide when the plasmapause gradient exists. L-100 is demonstrated to bound the plasmasphere at large L-shell in the dusk. The plasmasphere expands farther out than predicted from the Carpenter and Anderson (1992, ) model. We generate statistics of the plasmasphere boundaries binned by L-shell, magnetic local time (MLT), and geomagnetic indices, leading to new models for radiation belt codes. The L-100 boundary commonly varies by similar to +/- 0.5 L, increasing with activity up to similar to +/- 1 L, becomes MLT-dependent for Kp > similar to 2, and is preferentially steep on the night side for non-quiet times and a wider region in the afternoon sector.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Statistics and Empirical Models of the Plasmasphere Boundaries From the Van Allen Probes for Radiation Belt Physics
- Creators
- J. -F. Ripoll - CEA DAM Île-de-FranceS. A. Thaller - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsD. P. Hartley - Univ Iowa, Dept Phys & Astron, Iowa City, IA USAG. S. Cunningham - Los Alamos National LaboratoryV. Pierrard - Royal Belgian Institute for Space AeronomyW. S. Kurth - University of IowaC. A. Kletzing - University of IowaJ. R. Wygant - University of Minnesota
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.49(21), e2022GL101402
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- DOI
- 10.1029/2022GL101402
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 13
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/16/2022
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984429011802771
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