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The Scalable Plasma Ion Composition and Electron Density (SPICED) Model for Earth's Inner Magnetosphere
Author(s) -
James Matthew K.,
Yeoman Tim K.,
Jones Petra,
Sandhu Jasmine K.,
Goldstein Jerry
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1029/2021ja029565
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , van allen probes , magnetosphere , plasma sheet , computational physics , physics , plasma , electron density , van allen radiation belt , electron , ion , ring current , atomic physics , range (aeronautics) , geophysics , materials science , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , composite material
The plasma mass loading of the terrestrial equatorial inner magnetosphere is a key determinant of the characteristics and propagation of ultra low frequency waves. Electron number density is also an important factor for other types of waves such as chorus, hiss and EMIC waves. In this paper, we use Van Allen Probe data from September 2012 to February 2019 to create average models of electron densities and average ion mass in the plasmasphere and plasmatrough, near the Earth's magnetic equator. These models are combined to provide an estimate of the most probable plasma mass density in the equatorial region. We then use machine learning to form a set of models which are parameterized by the SuperMAG ring current index based on the design of the average models. The resulting set of models are capable of predicting the average ion mass, electron density and plasma mass density in the range 2 ≤ L ≤ 5.9 and over all magnetic local time sectors during a range of conditions where − 75 ≤ S M R ≤ + 27 nT.