Premium
A correlation between extended intervals of Ulf wave power and storm‐time geosynchronous relativistic electron flux enhancements
Author(s) -
Mathie R. A.,
Mann I. R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl003822
Subject(s) - magnetosphere , geosynchronous orbit , physics , solar wind , flux (metallurgy) , geophysics , electron , van allen radiation belt , wave power , storm , van allen probes , geomagnetic storm , amplitude , computational physics , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , power (physics) , plasma , astronomy , meteorology , satellite , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , materials science , metallurgy
Recent research has highlighted the possibility that large‐amplitude ULF pulsations may act as an acceleration mechanism for generating relativistic electron populations in the outer zone magnetosphere during storm‐time. We examine solar wind characteristics, Pc5 ULF wave power and outer magnetospheric measurements of high energy electron flux during the recurrent fast solar wind speed streams which occurred during the first half of 1995. We find a close correlation between extended intervals of significant pulsation power and observations of enhanced relativistic (>2 MeV) electron flux in the outer zone magnetosphere, suggesting that these two features may be causally related. We demonstrate that significant electron flux increases at geosynchronous orbit are only observed in response to ULF wave power which is sustained at high levels over a number of days following storm onset. Our observations suggest that ULF pulsations may be the likely acceleration mechanism for generating storm‐time MeV “killer” electrons in the magnetosphere.