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.     

Specific features of the relativistic electron flux dynamics during the recovery phase of a magnetic storm on April 6, 2000

The energy spectrum of electrons with energies of 0.8–6.0 MeV has been analyzed based on the data of the Express-A2 geostationary satellite and time variations in the fluxes of electrons with energies higher than 0.6 and 2 MeV (according to the GOES-10 satellite data) before and after a weak geomagnetic storm on April 9–10, 2002, which developed during the prolonged (about ten days) recovery phase of a strong magnetic storm on April 6, 2000. The effect of the secondary injection and acceleration caused by an intensification of substorm activity during a weak storm on the electron flux dynamics has been studied for the first time. The energy spectra and time variations in the electron flux dynamics before and after a weak storm have been described based on analytical solutions to the kinetic equation for the electron distribution function with regard to the stochastic acceleration and loss rates. It has been established that there were different acceleration and loss rates before and after the weak storm of April 9–10, 2000.     

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.     

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.     

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).     

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.     

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.     

Dynamics of solar protons in the Earth’s magnetosphere during magnetic storms in November 2004–January 2005

The processes of penetration, trapping, and acceleration of solar protons in the Earth’s magneto-sphere during magnetic storms in November 2004 and January 2005 are studied based on the energetic particle measurements on the CORONAS-F and SERVIS-1 satellites. Acceleration of protons by 1–2 orders of magnitude was observed after trapping of solar protons with an energy of 1–15 MeV during the recovery phase of the magnetic storm of November 7–8, 2004. This acceleration was accompanied by an earthward shift of the particle flux maximum for several days, during which the series of magnetic storms continued. The process of relativistic electron acceleration proceeded simultaneously and according to a similar scenario including acceleration of protons. At the end of this period, the intensification was terminated by the process of precipitation, and a new proton belt split with the formation of two maximums at L ～ 2 and 3. In the January 2005 series of moderate storms, solar protons were trapped at L = 3.7 during the storm of January 17–18. However, during the magnetic storm of January 21, these particles fell in the zone of quasi-trapping, or precipitated into the atmosphere, or died in the magnetosheath. At the same time, the belts that were formed in November at L ～ 2 and 3 remained unchanged. Transformations of the proton (and electron) belts during strong magnetic storms change the intensity and structure of belts for a long time. Thus, the consequences of changes during the July 2004 storm did not disappear until November disturbances.     

Responses of geostationary orbit energetic electron fluxes to chorus waves under different geomagnetic conditions

We investigate the flux evolution of geostationary orbit energetic electrons during a strong storm on 24 August 2005(event A,the storm index Dst<200 nT,the average substorm index AE=436 nT)and a weak storm on 28 October 2006(event B,Dst>50 nT,average AE=320 nT).Data collected by LANL and GOES-12 satellites show that energetic electron fluxes increase by a factor of 10 during the recovery phase compared to the prestorm level for both events A and B.As the substorm continued,the Cluster C4 satellite observed strong whistler-mode chorus waves(with spectral density approaching 10 5nT2/Hz).The wave amplitude correlates with the substorm AE index,but is less correlated with the storm Dst index.Using a Gaussian distribution fitting method,we solve the Fokker-Planck diffusion equation governing the wave-particle interaction.Numerical results demonstrate that chorus waves efficiently accelerate~1 MeV energetic electrons,particularly at high pitch angles.The calculated acceleration time scale and amplitude are comparable to observations.Our results provide new observational support for chorus-driven acceleration of radiation belt energetic electrons.     

Variations in the geomagnetic field and auroras during the main phase of a large magnetic storm of November 20, 2003

The substorm characteristics during the main phase of a large magnetic storm of November 20, 2003, are studied based on the data of TV observations of auroras and auroral absorption at Tixie Bay station and at the global network of magnetic stations. The contribution of auroral particles, responsible for the emission of discrete auroras, has been estimated based on an analysis of the spatial-time variations in the auroral luminosity intensity. This contribution accounted for ～40% of the total luminous flux, which is approximately twice as large as was previously observed in substorm disturbances. Responses of the solar wind and IMF parameters in substorms and variations in the magnetic indices, characterizing geomagnetic activity in the northern polar cap and ring current (PCN, ASY-H and SYM-H), have been detected. The spatial-time distribution of the equivalent ionospheric currents has been constructed, and the total value of these currents along the meridian has been determined based on the [Popov et al., 2001] method and using the IMAGE magnetic data. It has been obtained that the maximal total equivalent ionospheric current in the premidnight sector (～2000 MLT) leads the minimal value of the SYM-H index by ～1.5 h.     

Peculiarities of the outer radiation belt dynamics during the strong magnetic storm of May 15, 2005

The dynamics of energetic electrons (E _e =0.17–8 MeV) and protons (E _p =1 MeV) of the outer radiation belt during the magnetic storm of May 15, 2005, at high (GOES-10 and LANL-84 geosynchronous satellites) and low (Meteor-3M polar satellite) altitudes is analyzed. The data have been compared to the density, plasma velocity, solar wind, and magnetic field measurements on the ACE satellite and geomagnetic disturbances. During the magnetic storm main phase, the nighttime boundary of the region of trapped radiation and the center of westward electrojet shifted to L ～ 3. Enhancements of only low-energy electrons were observed on May 15, 2005. The belt of relativistic electrons with a maximum at L ～ 4 was formed during the substorm, the amplitude of which reached its maximum at ～0630 UT on May 16. The results are in good agreement with the regularity relating the position of a maximum of the new relativistic electron belt, boundaries of the trapped radiation region, and extreme low-latitude position of westward electrojet center to the Dst variation amplitude.     

Correlation between the Earth’s outer radiation belt dynamics and solar wind parameters at the solar minimum according to EMP instrument data onboard the CORONAS-Photon satellite

The study of variations in the electron flux in the outer Earth radiation belt (ERB) and their correlations with solar processes is one of the important problems in the experiment with the Electron-M-Peska instrument onboard the CORONAS-Photon solar observatory. Data on relativistic and subrelativistic electron fluxes obtained by the Electron-M-Peska in 2009 have been used to study the outer ERB dynamics at the solar minimum. Increases in outer ERB relativistic electron fluxes, observed at an height of 550 km after weak magnetic disturbances induced by high-velocity solar wind arriving to the Earth, have been analyzed. The geomagnetic disturbances induced by the high-velocity solar wind and that resulted in electron flux variations were insignificant: there were no considerable storms and substorms during that period; however, several polar ground-based stations observed an increase in wave activity. An assumption has been made that the wave activity caused the variations in relativistic electron fluxes.     

Outer radiation belt of relativistic electrons during the minimum of the 23rd solar cycle

The data on fluxes of electrons with energy Ee > 1 MeV and on radiation doses under the Al shielding of about 2 g/cm² measured on the GLONASS satellite (circular orbit with altitude 20000 km and inclination 65°) for the period from December 2006 through May 2010 are analyzed. The minimum of the 23rd solar cycle turned out to be the longest for all over the space exploration age. Consequently, average semiannual electron fluxes and daily radiation doses are showing the decrease by more than an order of magnitude in comparison with the levels observed in 2007. We present an example of a diffusion wave of relativistic electrons; the wave develops in a period between magnetic storms. This process may result in a significant increase of the radiation dose measured in the orbit, even under the conditions of weak geomagnetic disturbances. The dynamics of variations in relativistic electron fluxes during the magnetic storm of April 5?C6, 2010, is discussed so far as this is the first strong flux enhancement in the 24th solar cycle.     

2005年8月24日磁暴主相期间亚暴过程的多卫星联合观测分析

本文根据OMNI、TC-2卫星、LANL系列卫星、Cluster星簇卫星(C1-C4)以及加拿大的8个中高纬地磁台站的观测数据,研究了2005年8月24日强磁暴(SYM-H_min~ -179 nT)主相期间的强亚暴(AL_min~ -4046 nT)事件特征.该强磁暴在大振幅(IMF B_{z min}~ -55.57 nT)、短持续时间(~90 min)的行星际磁场条件下产生,有明显的磁暴急始(SSC),强度较大且持续时间较短.发生在磁暴主相期间的亚暴发展的主要特征如下:亚暴增长相期间,C1-C4卫星先后穿越中心等离子体片;亚暴膨胀相触发后,在近地磁尾(X~-6R_E)可观测到磁场偶极化现象;等离子体无色散注入区在亚暴onset开始后迅速沿经向扩展,但被限制在有限的经度范围;磁纬60°附近,Pi2地磁脉动振幅超过了100 nT.膨胀相开始后,在中、高磁纬地磁台站可观测到负湾扰,近地磁尾可观测到Pi2空间脉动,中磁尾区域可观测到尾向流、磁重联以及O⁺/H⁺数密度比值在亚暴onset之后增大等现象.分析表明该强磁暴主相期间的强亚暴现象发生时序是自内向外:X~-6R_E处TC-2观测到磁场偶极化(~09:42:30 UT),同步轨道卫星LANL1994-084观测到等离子体无色散注入(~09:44:30 UT),X~-17.8R_E处C1观测到磁场重联(~09:45:30 UT),由此推断该亚暴事件很可能是近地磁尾不稳定性触发产生,其发生区域距离地球很近.     

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.     

Spatial-temporal dynamics of auroras during the magnetic storm main phase

The structure and dynamics of auroras in the midnight sector during substorms, which develop during the magnetic storm main phase as compared to the characteristics of a typical auroral substorm, have been studied using the ground-based and satellite observations. It has been found out that a difference from the classical substorm is observed in auroras during the magnetic storm main phase. At the beginning of the storm main phase, the series of pseudobreakups with the most pronounced jump-like motion toward the equator shifts to lower latitudes. The substorm expansion phase can be observed not only as arc jumps to higher latitudes but also as an explosive expansion of a bright diffuse luminosity in all directions. During the magnetic storm main phase, auroras are mainly characterized by the presence of stable extensive rayed structures and by the simultaneous existence of different auroral forms, typical of different substorm phases, in the TV camera field of view.     

Parametric effects in inhomogeneous plasma during injection of electron pulses into the ionosphere

The injection of electron pulses from the rocket into the ionospheric plasma in the lower hemisphere relative to the initial pitch angles of electrons during the substorm recovery phase provoked the generation of parametric processes (the ARAKS experiment). The electron flux observations, obtained using a wide-angle detector, and the whistler wave emission intensity measurements were compared. A wide-angle detector of electrons was mounted on the rocket, and a broadband wave receiver was installed on a nasal cone separated from the rocket. Bursts of the electron flux and wave emission were observed in pauses between electron pulses. It has been indicated that a clearly defined anisotropy of the observed parametric effects of the pitch angle of injected electron pulses is related to resonance characteristics of a wave emitted by electron fluxes in a magnetized plasma. Precipitation of ring current electrons was caused by a change in the magnetic moment of electrons, trapped by the magnetosphere, in the region of magnetic mirror points in the fields of electrostatic oscillations excited during decay of whistlers.     

Features of the planetary distribution of auroral precipitation characteristics during substorms

A planetary pattern of substorm development in auroral precipitation has been constructed on the basis of the F6 and F7 satellite observations. The behavior of the auroral injection boundaries and characteristics of precipitating electrons in various precipitation regions during all phases of a statistically mean magnetospheric substorm with an intensity of AL ～ ?400 nT at a maximum is considered in detail. It is shown that during a substorm, the zone of structured auroral oval precipitation AOP and the diffuse auroral zone DAZ are the widest in the nighttime and daytime sectors, respectively. In the daytime sector, all precipitation regions synchronously shift equatorward not only at the origination phase but during the substorm development phase. The strongest shift to low latitudes of the daytime AOP region is observed at a maximum of the development phase. As a result of this shift, the area of the polar cap increases during the phases of substorm origination and development. It is shown that the average position of the precipitation boundaries and the energy fluxes of precipitating electrons at each phase are linearly related to the intensity of a magnetic disturbance. This makes it possible to develop a model of auroral precipitation development during each phase of substorms of any intensity.     

Effect of magnetospheric substorms on asymptotic directions of arrival of cosmic ray relativistic protons

The effect of magnetospheric storm on the propagation of relativistic protons has been analyzed. The method of trajectory calculations has been used to estimate changes in the reception cones for 21 stations, caused by the storm of July 19–20, 2000, accompanied by considerable saw-tooth substorm disturbances. It has been indicated that the degree of the substorm effect on the propagation of cosmic ray (CR) relativistic protons, registered with ground detectors, differs for different stations and depends on a distance of the particle trajectory from the localization of a substorm disturbance. The maximal effect for the considered substorm was found at Inuvik and McMurdo stations. Changes in the reception cone, caused by the substorm at these stations, were comparable or even larger than changes caused by the storm. Based on the calculations, the conclusion has been drawn that a disturbance (substorm) localized in space results in the appearance of relatively local zones on the Earth’s surface where characteristics of the asymptotic arrival of relativistic particles are changed.