Resonant enhancement of relativistic electron fluxes during geomagnetically active periods

The strong increase in the flux of relativistic electrons during the recovery phase of magnetic storms and during other active periods is investigated with the help of Hamiltonian formalism and simulations of test electrons which interact with whistler waves. The intensity of the whistler waves is enhanced significantly due to injection of 10–100 keV electrons during the substorm. Electrons which drift in the gradient and curvature of the magnetic field generate the rising tones of VLF whistler chorus. The seed population of relativistic electrons which bounce along the inhomogeneous magnetic field, interacts resonantly with the whistler waves. Whistler wave propagating obliquely to the magnetic field can interact with energetic electrons through Landau, cyclotron, and higher harmonic resonant interactions when the Doppler-shifted wave frequency equals any (positive or negative) integer multiple of the local relativistic gyrofrequency. Because the gyroradius of a relativistic electron may be the order of or greater than the perpendicular wavelength, numerous cyclotron, harmonics can contribute to the resonant interaction which breaks down the adiabatic invariant. A similar process diffuses the pitch angle leading to electron precipitation. The irreversible changes in the adiabatic invariant depend on the relative phase between the wave and the electron, and successive resonant interactions result in electrons undergoing a random walk in energy and pitch angle. This resonant process may contribute to the 10–100 fold increase of the relativistic electron flux in the outer radiation belt, and constitute an interesting relation between substorm-generated waves and enhancements in fluxes of relativistic electrons during geomagnetic storms and other active periods.     

地球同步轨道附近哨声湍流对“种子电子”的加速

本文在等离子体准线性理论下研究了地球同步轨道附近哨声湍流对亚暴“种子电子”的波-电子共振相互作用. 当发生这种共振时，“种子电子”的动量分布函数经动量扩散而随时间演化，部分低能电子数减少了，而高能尾部分的相对论电子（能量大于1MeV）数增加了，说明“种子电子”得到了哨声湍流的有效加速，且哨声湍流的能量越高，其加速效率越高. 另外，哨声湍流的频率越低（或波数越小），共振电子的能量越高（或单位质量的动量越大）；频率范围越宽，共振电子的能量范围越宽，被加速的电子数也越多. 磁层哨声湍流加速“种子电子” 大约在30h内就可以造成相对论电子数显著增加，这正好和大多数磁暴期间观测到的相对论电子通量的增长时间相当.     

Relativistic electron losses related to EMIC waves during CIR and CME storms

The losses of radiation belt electrons to the atmosphere due to wave–particle interactions with electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (EMIC) waves during corotating interaction region (CIR) storms compared to coronal mass ejections (CME) storms is investigated. Geomagnetic storms with extended ‘recovery’ phases due to large-amplitude Alfvén waves in the solar wind are associated with relativistic electron flux enhancements in the outer radiation belt. The corotating solar wind streams following a CIR in the solar wind contain large-amplitude Alfvén waves, but also some CME storms with high-speed solar wind can have large-amplitude Alfvén waves and extended ‘recovery’ phases. During both CIR and CME storms the ring current protons are enhanced. In the anisotropic proton zone the protons are unstable for EMIC wave growth. Atmospheric losses of relativistic electrons due to weak to moderate pitch angle scattering by EMIC waves is observed inside the whole anisotropic proton zone. During storms with extended ‘recovery’ phases we observe higher atmospheric loss of relativistic electrons than in storms with fast recovery phases. As the EMIC waves exist in storms with both extended and short recovery phases, the increased loss of relativistic electrons reflects the enhanced source of relativistic electrons in the radiation belt during extended recovery phase storms. The region with the most unstable protons and intense EMIC wave generation, seen as a narrow spike in the proton precipitation, is spatially coincident with the largest loss of relativistic electrons. This region can be observed at all MLTs and is closely connected with the spatial shape of the plasmapause as revealed by simultaneous observations by the IMAGE and the NOAA spacecraft. The observations in and near the atmospheric loss cone show that the CIR and CME storms with extended ‘recovery’ phases produce high atmospheric losses of relativistic electrons, as these storms accelerate electrons to relativistic energies. The CME storm with short recovery phase gives low losses of relativistic electrons due to a reduced level of relativistic electrons in the radiation belt.     

磁层相对论电子通量变化与磁暴/亚暴的关系

本文分析了1 AU处的行星际磁场、太阳风速度、Kp指数、Dst和AE的变化关系,以及它们和地球同步轨道附近相对论电子通量的变化关系.分析说明,当行星际磁场Bz分量出现南向扰动和太阳风速度增大超过500 km/s时,地球磁层中常常发生磁暴/亚暴活动.在磁暴主相期间,相对论电子(能量E≥1 MeV)通量下降;而在磁暴恢复相期间,相对论电子通量恢复上升.但是,只有在伴随有高强度（AE≥500 nT）的持续性亚暴活动的磁暴恢复相期间,相对论电子的通量才能增长到超过暴前通量值,且能量低于300 keV的亚暴电子的通量越高,相对论电子的通量越高,反之则越低.亚暴注入电子数的多少很大程度上决定了磁暴恢复相期间相对论电子数的多少,这说明亚暴活动注入能量低于300 keV的亚暴电子是磁层相对论电子的一个重要来源.     

行星际扰动和地磁活动对GEO相对论电子影响

利用1988—2010年小时平均的GOES卫星数据,对地球同步轨道(GEO)相对论电子变化进行了统计分析,研究了相对论电子通量(Fe)增强事件的发展过程,探讨了利于相对论电子通量增强的太阳风和地磁活动条件.主要结论如下:(1)GEO相对论电子通量即使是峰值,也具有明显的地方时特性,最大电子通量出现在磁正午时.午/夜电子通量比率随着太阳风速度(Vsw)增加而增大;在Dst-50nT时相对论电子具有规则的地方时变化.在太阳活动下降相,电子通量与各参数的相关性较好,与其相关性最好的Vsw、Kp指数以及三次根号下的太阳风密度(N)分别出现在电子通量前39~57h、57~80h和12~24h.(2)强(日平均电子通量峰值Femax≥104 pfu)相对论电子事件,在距离太阳活动谷年前两年左右和春秋分期间发生率最高,较弱(104Femax≥103 pfu)事件无此特点;大部分强相对论电子事件中,电子通量在磁暴主相开始增加,较弱事件中则在恢复相开始回升.(3)太阳风密度变化对相对论电子事件的发展具有重要指示作用.电子通量在太阳风密度极大值后0~1天达到极小值,太阳风密度极小值后0~2天达到极大值.(4)90%以上相对论电子事件是在磁暴及高速太阳风的条件下发生的,与其伴随的行星际参数和地磁活动指数极值满足以下条件:Vswmax516km/s,Dstmin-31nT,Nmin2.8cm-3,Nmax14.1cm-3,Bzmin-2.9nT,AEmax698nT.(5)磁暴过程中,Dstmin后日平均电子通量大于103 pfu的发生概率为53%左右,强/弱相对论电子事件占总数比例分别为36%/64%左右,磁暴强度对其无影响.磁暴过程中的Vsw、N和AE指数大小对于能否引起相对论电子增强起着指示作用.     

Solar-wind–magnetosphere coupling,including relativistic electron energization,during high-speed streams

High geomagnetic activity occurs continuously during high-speed solar wind streams, and fluxes of relativistic electrons observed at geosynchronous orbit enhance significantly. High-speed streams are preceded by solar wind compression regions, during which time there are large losses of relativistic electrons from geosynchronous orbit. Weak to moderate geomagnetic storms often occur during the passage of these compression regions; however, we find that the phenomena that occur during the ensuing high-speed streams do not depend on whether or not a preceding storm develops. Large-amplitude Alfvén waves occur within the high-speed solar wind streams, which are expected to lead to intermittent intervals of significantly enhanced magnetospheric convection and to thus also lead to repetitive substorms due to repetitively occurring reductions in the strength of convection. We find that such repetitive substorms are clearly discernible in the LANL geosynchronous energetic particle data during high-speed stream intervals. Global auroral images are found to show unambiguously that these events are indeed classical substorms, leading us to conclude that substorms are an important contributor to the enhanced geomagnetic activity during high-speed streams. We used the onsets of these substorms as indicators of preceding periods of enhanced convection and of reductions in convection, and we have used ground-based chorus observations from the VELOX instrument at Halley station as an indicator of magnetospheric chorus intensities. These data show evidence that it is the periods of enhanced convection that precede substorm expansions, and not the expansions themselves, that lead to the enhanced dawn-side chorus wave intensity that has been postulated to cause the energization of relativistic electrons. If this inference is correct, and if it is chorus that energizes the relativistic electrons, then high-speed solar wind streams lead to relativistic electron flux enhancements because the embedded large-amplitude Alfvén waves give multi-day periods of intermittent significantly enhanced convection.     

ULF wave indices to characterize the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction and relativistic electron dynamics

To quantify the level of low-frequency wave activity of the magnetosphere and IMF, a set of the ULF wave power indices has been introduced. We demonstrate that the ULF activity global level can be very useful in space weather related problems. The application of the interplanetary index to an analysis of auroral activity driving has shown that a turbulent IMF drives auroral activity more strongly than the laminar solar wind does. The enhancements of relativistic electrons at the geosynchronous orbit are known not to be directly related to the intensity of magnetic storms. We found that the electron dynamics correlated well with long-lasting intervals of elevated ground ULF wave index. This fact confirms the importance of magnetospheric ULF turbulence in energizing electrons up to relativistic energies. The time-integrated ULF index demonstrates a significantly higher correlation with electron fluxes, which implies the occurrence of a cumulative effect in the electron energization.     

磁暴期间热层大气密度变化

基于CHAMP卫星资料,分析了2002—2008年267个磁暴期间400km高度大气密度变化对季节、地方时与区域的依赖以及时延的统计学特征,得到暴时大气密度变化的一些新特点,主要结论如下:1)两半球大气密度绝对变化(δρa)结果在不同强度磁暴、不同地方时不同.受较强的焦耳加热和背景中性风共同作用,在北半球夏季,中等磁暴过程中夜侧和大磁暴中,夏半球的δρa强于冬半球;由于夏季半球盛行风环流造成的扰动传播速度快,北半球夏季日侧30°附近大气,北(夏)半球到达峰值的时间早于南(冬)半球.而可能受半球不对称背景磁场强度所导致的热层能量输送率影响,北半球夏季强磁暴和中磁暴个例的日侧,南半球δρa强于北半球;春秋季个例中日侧30°附近大气,北半球先于南半球1~2h达到峰值.2)受叠加在背景环流上的暴时经向环流影响,春秋季暴时赤道大气密度达到峰值的时间最短,日/夜侧大气分别在Dstmin后1h和2h达到峰值.至点附近夜侧赤道大气达到峰值时间一致,为Dstmin后3h;不同季节日侧结果不同,在北半球冬季时赤道地区经过更长的时间达到峰值.3)日侧赤道峰值时间距离高纬度峰值时间不受季节影响,为3h左右.在春秋季和北半球冬季夜侧,赤道大气密度先于高纬度达到峰值,且不同纬度大气密度的峰值几乎无差别,表明此时低纬度存在其他加热源起着重要作用.     

Indicators of an increase in the flux of relativistic electrons in geostationary orbit during geomagnetic storms

The relation of the fluxes of relativistic electrons in geostationary orbit during magnetic storms to the state of the magnetosphere and variations in the solar wind parameters is studied based on the GOES satellite data (1996–2000). It has been established that, in ～52–65% of all storms, the fluxes of electrons with energies higher than 0.6 and 2 MeV during the storm recovery phase are more than twice as high as the electron fluxes before a storm. It has been indicated that the probability of such cases is closely related to the prestorm level of fluxes and to a decrease in fluxes during the storm main phase. It has been found that the solar wind velocity on the day of the storm main phase and the geomagnetic activity indices at the beginning of the storm recovery phase are also among the best indicators of occurrence of storms with increased fluxes at the storm recovery phase.     

Strong localized variations of the low-altitude energetic electron fluxes in the evening sector near the plasmapause

Specific type of energetic electron precipitation accompanied by a sharp increase in trapped energetic electron flux are found in the data obtained from low-altitude NOAA satellites. These strongly localized variations of the trapped and precipitated energetic electron flux have been observed in the evening sector near the plasmapause during recovery phase of magnetic storms. Statistical characteristics of these structures as well as the results of comparison with proton precipitation are described. We demonstrate the spatial coincidence of localized electron precipitation with cold plasma gradient and whistler wave intensification measured on board the DE-1 and Aureol-3 satellites. A simultaneous localized sharp increase in both trapped and precipitating electron flux could be a result of significant pitch-angle isotropization of drifting electrons due to their interaction via cyclotron instability with the region of sharp increase in background plasma density.     

利用地磁脉动预报地球同步轨道相对论电子通量的方法研究

本文利用低纬地磁台站的Pi1、Pi2地磁脉动（Pi1-2）资料和地球同步轨道的Pc5地磁脉动资料,对2004年1月到2006年12月38个磁暴事件的地磁脉动参数进行了统计分析.在此基础上,考虑相对论电子的局部加速机制,并加入损失机制,建立了一个初步的磁暴期间地球同步轨道相对论电子通量对数值的预报模型.利用该模型,我们对上述38个磁暴事件进行预报试验,最优化结果是：相对论电子通量对数值的预测值和观测值之间的线性相关系数为0.82,预报效率为0.67.这说明该模式具有较好的预报效果,也表明利用地磁脉动参数进行相对论电子通量预报是可行的.     

Two observed consequences of penetration electric fields

The influence of penetration electric fields (PEF) on storm-time energetic particles in the inner magnetosphere and on the stability of plasma in the low-latitude ionosphere is widely recognized. We describe two consequences of PEFs, regularly observed during magnetic storms that indicate their persistence throughout the main phases. These are (1) the presence of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB) across the evening local time sector during main phases and their absence throughout recovery, and (2) detections of low-energy ion precipitation in the dawn sector equatorward of the auroral electron boundary.     

基于修正K_p指数的中纬区单站电离层暴预报方法研究

对电离层暴进行有效预报具有很重要的实际应用价值,但目前这一工作还存在着许多方面有待改进.本文假设电离层扰动的季节性规律占主导地位,借鉴Kutiev and Muhtarov构建修正K_p指数表示地磁活动的方法,建立了一个适用于中纬地区Yakutsk单台站电离层暴预报的线性经验模型.检验表明,该模型对Yakutsk站夏季和春秋季电离层扰动的预测效果明显优于IRI中的STORM模型,模型改善度平均可达35%左右;能很好地反映磁暴连续发生的情况下δfoF₂分阶段下降的形态;能反映出一定的电离层正相扰动及其持续时间,但是正扰动的预报精度有待进一步提高.     

基于NOAA/POES卫星观测的磁层相对论电子起源的初探

本文利用低高度极轨卫星NOAA/POES的观测数据，并结合ACE卫星和Polar卫星的观测结果，研究分析了磁层相对论电子的起源. NOAA/POES卫星对于不同地磁活动时期相对论电子的分布和起源进行了较为详细观测, 分析结果表明（1） 亚暴期间注入磁层的能量电子可以为与磁暴相关的磁层高能电子暴提供种子电子；（2）太阳质子事件期间太阳风中的能量电子也可以为磁层中的相对论电子提供所需要的源.     

Prediction of maximal daily average values of relativistic electron fluxes in geostationary orbit during the magnetic storm recovery phase

The relation of the maximal daily average values of the relativistic electron fluxes with an energy higher than 2 MeV, obtained from the measurements on GOES geostationary satellites, during the recovery phase of magnetic storms to the solar wind parameters and magnetospheric activity indices has been considered. The parameters of Pc5 and Pi1 geomagnetic pulsations and the relativistic electron fluxes during the prestorm period and the main phase of magnetic storms have been used together with the traditional indices of geomagnetic activity (A _E, K _p, D _st). A simple model for predicting relativistic electron fluxes has been proposed for the first three days of the magnetic storm recovery phase. The predicted fluxes of the outer radiation belt relativistic electrons well correlate with the observed values (R ∼ 0.8–0.9).     

The dual role of ELF/VLF chorus waves in the acceleration and precipitation of radiation belt electrons

This paper provides a brief review of the role that chorus waves play in controlling the dynamics of the Earth's outer radiation belt. Three major topics are discussed: (i) the morphology, characteristics, and properties of chorus waves themselves, with special emphasis on more recent results, (ii) the role that chorus waves play in the loss of radiation belt particles, showing initial results from modeling of relativistic electron microbursts, and estimated lifetimes based on microburst occurrence rates during the main phase of storms, and (iii) the role that chorus waves play in the acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies in the recovery phase of storms, based on a new quasilinear diffusion based calculation.     

Quantitative description of electron precipitation during auroral absorption events in the morning/noon local-time sector

Flux-energy spectra of precipitating electrons are derived from electron density profiles measured by the EISCAT radar during auroral absorption events in the morning/noon local-time sector. The inversion technique uses effective recombination coefficient profiles computed on the basis of a previously validated theoretical model of the lower ionosphere. It is shown that flux-energy spectra for the energy range 30–200 keV are in reasonable agreement with those derived for the same events using trapped flux-energy spectra from geosynchronous satellite data and a model for diffusion of trapped electrons into the loss cone by scattering on whistler waves. During individual events, strongly varying precipitating fluxes are found to be due primarily to varying pitch-angle diffusion.     

Variations in planetary radiation belt fluxes and their radiative observations

The variations in the fluxes of the relativistic electrons in the planetary radiation belts are due to a set of different physical processes which violate one or more of the adiabatic invariants. We survey the mechanisms which break down these invariants and investigate the time scales for the processes and the resulting effects on the observed fluxes. The mechanisms include (a) sudden deformation of the magnetic field configuration, (b) radial diffusion due to low-frequency electromagnetic oscillations, (c) transit-time damping due to fast waves and (d) diffusion due to electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (emic) or whistler waves. It is indicated how the waves which interact resonantly with the relativistic electrons are responsible for enhancement in the radiative spectra of the gyrosynchrotron emissions in the GHz frequency range and the X-ray bremsstrahlung emissions at the MeV energy range.     

The relation between geomagnetic pulsations and an increase in the fluxes of geosynchronous relativistic electrons during geomagnetic storms

The dynamics of the Pc5 and Pi1 pulsation characteristics and relativistic electron fluxes at geostationary orbit were comparatively analyzed for three nine-day intervals, including quiet periods and periods of geomagnetic storms. It was shown that relativistic electron fluxes increase considerably when the power of global Pc5 pulsations and the index of midlatitude irregular Pi1 pulsations increase simultaneously. The correlation between the characteristics of Pi1 and Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations and the level of the relativistic electron flux at geostationary orbit during the magnetic storm recovery phase were studied. It was shown that the correlation coefficient of the relativistic electron maximal fluxes during the magnetic storm recovery phase with the parameter of midlatitude Pi1 pulsations is slightly higher than such a correlation coefficient with the solar wind velocity.     

大磁暴期间TIEGCM模式和CHAMP卫星热层大气密度扰动特性的统计研究

本文统计分析了2001—2005年的39次大磁暴事件(Dst-100nT)期间TIEGCM模式和CHAMP卫星大气密度数据.研究结果表明,模式结果与实测数据具有较好的一致性,但仍存在一定的偏差.大气密度及增量与SYM-H指数相关性较好,并且随纬度、光照条件和地磁活动水平变化.模式低估了磁暴期间大气密度的增幅,特别是在地磁活动水平较强时模式与实测的偏差较大.模式的偏差在高纬地区高于低纬地区,日侧高于夜侧.Dst指数越低,偏差越大,而当Dst指数低于-150nT以后,绝对偏差和相对偏差变化不明显.