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Simultaneous satellite observations of VLF chorus, hot and relativistic electrons in a magnetic storm “recovery” phase
Author(s) -
Kasahara Y.,
Miyoshi Y.,
Omura Y.,
Verkhoglyadova O. P.,
Nagano I.,
Kimura I.,
Tsurutani B. T.
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1029/2008gl036454
Subject(s) - van allen radiation belt , electron , physics , chorus , geomagnetic storm , pitch angle , magnetosphere , van allen probes , geophysics , computational physics , earth's magnetic field , atomic physics , magnetic field , nuclear physics , plasma , art , literature , quantum mechanics
The mechanism for formation of the Earth's radiation belts has been an outstanding issue for utilization of the geospace environment. We present a magnetic storm recovery phase that occurred from 10 to 19 October 1990, in which there is a clear correlation among continuous injection of hot electrons, generation of chorus, geomagnetic AE activity (all for ∼8 days) and the acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies. We propose a following scenario to explain the observations: the continuous injection of hot electrons associated with the continuous AE activity. The hot electrons with T perp / T para > 1 temperature anisotropies excite whistler‐mode chorus waves. The chorus interacts with energetic electrons accelerating them to MeV energies forming a flux of “killer electrons” in the outer radiation belt.