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On the threshold energization of radiation belt electrons by double layers
Author(s) -
Osmane A.,
Pulkkinen T. I.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2014ja020236
Subject(s) - electron , physics , electric field , debye length , atomic physics , amplitude , radiation , population , debye , computational physics , condensed matter physics , nuclear physics , optics , quantum mechanics , demography , sociology
Using a Hamiltonian approach, we quantify the energization threshold of electrons interacting with radiation belts' double layers discovered by Mozer et al. (2013). We find that double layers with electric field amplitude E 0 ranging between 10 and 100 mV/m and spatial scales of the order of few Debye lengths are very efficient in energizing electrons with initial velocities v ∥ ≤ v th to 1 keV levels but are unable to energize electrons with E ≥ 100 keV. Our results indicate that the localized electric field associated with the double layers are unlikely to generate a seed population of 100 keV necessary for a plethora of relativistic acceleration mechanisms and additional transport to higher energetic levels.