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Observations and Fokker‐Planck Simulations of the L ‐Shell, Energy, and Pitch Angle Structure of Earth's Electron Radiation Belts During Quiet Times
Author(s) -
Ripoll J.F.,
Loridan V.,
Denton M. H.,
Cunningham G.,
Reeves G.,
Santolík O.,
Fennell J.,
Turner D. L.,
Drozdov A. Y.,
Cervantes Villa J. S.,
Shprits Y. Y.,
Thaller S. A.,
Kurth W. S.,
Kletzing C. A.,
Henderson M. G.,
Ukhorskiy A. Y.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1029/2018ja026111
Subject(s) - pitch angle , van allen radiation belt , van allen probes , physics , hiss , electron , scattering , flux (metallurgy) , diffusion , radiation , atomic physics , radiation zone , computational physics , astrophysics , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , optics , geophysics , plasma , chemistry , stars , organic chemistry , convection zone , thermodynamics
The evolution of the radiation belts in L ‐shell ( L ), energy ( E ), and equatorial pitch angle ( α 0 ) is analyzed during the calm 11‐day interval (4–15 March) following the 1 March 2013 storm. Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) observations from Van Allen Probes are interpreted alongside 1D and 3D Fokker‐Planck simulations combined with consistent event‐driven scattering modeling from whistler mode hiss waves. Three ( L , E , α 0 ) regions persist through 11 days of hiss wave scattering; the pitch angle‐dependent inner belt core ( L ~ <2.2 and E < 700 keV), pitch angle homogeneous outer belt low‐energy core ( L > ~5 and E ~ < 100 keV), and a distinct pocket of electrons ( L ~ [4.5, 5.5] and E ~ [0.7, 2] MeV). The pitch angle homogeneous outer belt is explained by the diffusion coefficients that are roughly constant for α 0 ~ <60°, E > 100 keV, 3.5 < L < L pp ~ 6. Thus, observed unidirectional flux decays can be used to estimate local pitch angle diffusion rates in that region. Top‐hat distributions are computed and observed at L ~ 3–3.5 and E = 100–300 keV.