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Long-Term Variations of the Electron Slot Region and Global Radiation Belt Structure
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- United States: NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), 2005.
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Abstract
- We report the observations of changes of the nominal position of the quiet-time radiation belt slot over the solar cycles. It has been found that the slot region, believed to be a result of enhanced precipitation losses of energetic electrons due to their interactions with VLF waves in the magnetosphere, tends to shift to higher L (approximately 3) during a solar maximum compared to its canonical L value of approximately 2.5, which is more typical of a solar minimum. The solar-cycle migration of the slot can be understood in terms of the solar-cycle changes in ionospheric densities, which may cause the optimal wave-particle interaction region during higher solar activity periods to move to higher altitudes and higher latitudes, thus higher L. Our analysis also suggests that the primary wave-particle interaction processes that result in the slot formation are located off of the magnetic equator.
- Subjects :
- Geophysics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- NASA Technical Reports
- Notes :
- NAS5-97057
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsnas.20060004825
- Document Type :
- Report