Abstract
Radial diffusion of relativistic electrons into the radiation belt slot region during the 2003 Halloween geomagnetic storms
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Rice Space Institute, Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
A study was undertaken to estimate the radial diffusion timescale, τ
LL
, for relativistic electrons (2–6 MeV) to diffuse into the slot region due to drift-resonance with Pc5 ULF waves (2–10 mHz)
on 29 October 2003. Large amplitude ULF waves were observed by ground-based magnetometer arrays to penetrate deep into the
slot region (L
2–3) starting at 0600 UT and maximising (∼200 nT p-p) between 0930–1630 UT. Around the same time, the SAMPEX PET instrument
measured an over two orders of magnitude increase in relativistic (2–6 MeV) electron flux levels in ∼24 hours within the slot
region. The ground-based D-component magnetic power spectral densities (PSDδB
) for 29 October were estimated for six latitudinally spaced ground stations covering L ∼ 2.3–4.3 for an observed ULF wave with central frequency ∼4 mHz. The PSDδB
values were used to calculate the in situ equatorial poloidal wave electric field power spectral densities (PSDδEm
) using a standing Alfvén wave model. The radial diffusion coefficients, D
LL
, were estimated using the PSDδEm
values. The fastest τ
LL
were 3–5 hours at L > 4, while τ
LL
initially increased with decreasing L-value below L
4; peaking at L
3 with τ
LL
∼ 12–24 hours with PSDδEm
estimated using a wave frequency bandwidth between Δf = 1 mHz and Δf = 2.5 mHz. The τ
LL
over the L-range L ∼ 2.3–3.3 were consistent with the timescales observed by SAMPEX for the increase in relativistic fluxes in the slot region
on 29 October. The authors believe that this is the first example of the ULF wave drift-resonance with relativistic electrons
explaining a radiation belt slot region filling event.
Received 19 August 2005; accepted 18 January 2006; published 27 April 2006.
Citation: (2006), Radial diffusion of relativistic electrons into the radiation belt slot region during the 2003 Halloween geomagnetic storms, J. Geophys. Res., 111, A04218, doi:10.1029/2005JA011355.
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