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Things we do not yet understand about solar driving of the radiation belts
Author(s) -
Kessel Mona
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2016ja022472
Subject(s) - yardstick , focus (optics) , work (physics) , van allen radiation belt , matching (statistics) , computer science , engineering , physics , magnetosphere , plasma , mechanical engineering , mathematics , quantum mechanics , optics , statistics
This commentary explores how close we are to predicting the behavior of the radiations belts—the primary science objective of NASA's Van Allen Probes mission. Starting with what we know or think we know about competing sources, enhancement, transport, and loss, I walk through recent papers that have improved our understanding and then focus on flux dropouts as one particular yardstick of success. I mention a new paradigm for electrons and the importance of reliably matching models and observations for different solar inputs. Although the case for prediction remains a work in progress, there are encouraging signs of progress.