Abstract
A theoretical model of the inner proton radiation belt
The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, California, USA
The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, California, USA
Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
A theoretical calculation provides inner radiation belt proton intensities as a function of time and of the three adiabatic
invariants, M, K, and L, in the kinetic energy range from ∼10 MeV to ∼4 GeV and the L range from 1.1 to 2.4. Long residence times for trapped protons of up to several thousand years require similarly long input
time series for the geomagnetic field, solar activity, and solar proton fluences. Additional inputs include galactic cosmic
ray spectra, nuclear scattering cross sections, and the neutral and plasma densities in the atmosphere, ionosphere, and plasmasphere.
Trapped proton sources are cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND), calculated from a Monte Carlo particle transport simulation,
and solar proton injection using a derived empirical injection efficiency that is ∼10−4 at 10 MeV. Radial diffusion provides inward transport of injected solar protons. Calculated intensities at energies
Received 17 August 2006; accepted 2 November 2006; published 6 April 2007.
Citation: (2007), A theoretical model of the inner proton radiation belt, Space Weather, 5, S04003, doi:10.1029/2006SW000275.
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