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Modeling the Quasi‐Trapped Electron Fluxes From Cosmic Ray Albedo Neutron Decay (CRAND)
Author(s) -
Xiang Zheng,
Li Xinlin,
Selesnick R.,
Temerin M. A.,
Ni Binbin,
Zhao Hong,
Zhang Kun,
Khoo Leng Ying
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1029/2018gl081730
Subject(s) - physics , electron , van allen radiation belt , cosmic ray , neutron , atomic physics , albedo (alchemy) , radiation , computational physics , astrophysics , nuclear physics , plasma , magnetosphere , art , performance art , art history
Recently, cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND) has been identified as the main source of relativistic electrons measured at the inner edge of inner radiation belt. Here we introduce a drift‐source model that includes azimuthal drift and a CRAND electron source to simulate the quasi‐trapped electron distribution measured by the DEMETER satellite during 20–30 April 2010. The simulated longitude distribution of quasi‐trapped electron fluxes at the inner edge of inner radiation belt successfully reproduces the DEMETER observations, confirming CRAND as the main source for these electrons. Furthermore, a comparison of the energy spectrum and the L distribution of the quasi‐trapped relativistic electrons between simulations and observations further suggests that CRAND is likely the dominant source for 300–700‐keV quasi‐trapped electrons at L < 2 and L ≈ 3.