Connotea
CiteULike
del.ico.us
BibSonomyAbstract
Controlled precipitation of radiation belt electrons
STAR Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
STAR Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
STAR Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Institute for Scientific Research, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
First-order estimates indicate that the lifetime of energetic (a few MeV) electrons in the inner radiation belts (e.g., near L = 2) may be significantly reduced by in situ injection of whistler mode waves at radiated power levels of a few kW at frequencies of a few kHz. Our estimates are based on previously published results concerning the effect on the electron lifetimes of VLF signals from ground-based VLF transmitters operating in the 17–23 kHz range. Waves at lower frequencies (a few kHz) can drive diffusion rates that are higher by a factor of as much as ∼30 and can also be efficiently stored in the magnetospheric cavity, resulting in additional effective enhancement of wave power density of a factor of ∼16. This wave power enhancement is also expected to enhance the MeV electron diffusion rates.
Published 15 May 2003.
Citation: (2003), Controlled precipitation of radiation belt electrons, J. Geophys. Res., 108(A5), 1186, doi:10.1029/2002JA009580.
Cited By