The role of ring current particle injections: Global simulations and Van Allen Probes observations during 17 March 2013 storm

Yu, Yiqun; Jordanova, V. K.; Welling, D. T.; Larsen, B.; Claudepierre, S. G.; Kletzing, C. A.

doi:10.1002/2014gl059322

Cited by 38 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…These observations indicate that the large majority of the injections of ring current particles to lower L occurred during the flow‐burst time period of most rapid and furthest equatorward penetration of the auroral oval and associated currents. This inference is consistent with observations [ Gkioulidou et al ., ] and modeling [ Yu et al ., ] of this storm that indicate the importance of multiple ion injections to the formation of the ring current during the storm main phase.…”

Section: Ring Current Particle Injectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 17 March 2013 storm: Synergy of observations related to electric field modes and their ionospheric and magnetospheric Effects

et al. 2016

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The main phase of the 17 March 2013 storm had excellent coverage from ground‐based instruments and from low‐ and high‐altitude spacecraft, allowing for evaluation of the relations between major storm time phenomena that are often considered separately. The shock impact with its concurrent southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) immediately drove dramatic poleward expansion of the poleward boundary of the auroral oval (implying strong nightside reconnection), strong auroral activity, and strong penetrating midlatitude convection and ionospheric currents. This was followed by periods of southward IMF driving of electric fields that were at first relatively smooth as often employed in storm modeling but then became extremely bursty and structured associated with equatorward extending auroral streamers. The auroral oval did not expand much further poleward during these two latter periods, suggesting a lower overall nightside reconnection rate than that during the first period and approximate balance with dayside reconnection. Characteristics of these three modes of driving were reflected in horizontal and field‐aligned currents. Equatorward expansion of the auroral oval occurred predominantly during the structured convection mode, when electric fields became extremely bursty. The period of this third mode also approximately corresponded to the time of largest equatorward motion of the ionospheric trough, of apparent transport of high total electron content (TEC) features into the auroral oval from the polar cap, and of largest earthward injection of ions and electrons into the ring current. The enhanced responses of the aurora, currents, TEC, and the ring current indicate a common driving of all these storm time features during the bursty convection mode period.

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Section: Ring Current Particle Injectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 17 March 2013 storm: Synergy of observations related to electric field modes and their ionospheric and magnetospheric Effects

et al. 2016

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“…The ratio of the plasma frequency ( f pe ) to the equatorial gyrofrequency ( f ce0 ), taking the Earth's magnetic field as a dipole model, is shown in Figure a. Both of the storms of March 2013, on 1 March [ Baker et al , ; Li et al , ; Reeves et al , ] and 17 March [ Hudson et al , ; Xiao et al , ; Li et al , ; Boyd et al , ; Yu et al , ; Brito et al , ] created strong compressions of the plasmasphere, down to L = 3.3 and to L = 2.3 (cf. Figure a), respectively, and resulted in strong outer belt flux dropout events followed by enhancements of relativistic electrons in the outer belt.…”

Section: Wave and Plasma Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of whistler mode hiss waves in March 2013

et al. 2017

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We present simulations of the loss of radiation belt electrons by resonant pitch angle diffusion caused by whistler mode hiss waves for March 2013. Pitch angle diffusion coefficients are computed from the wave properties and the ambient plasma data obtained by the Van Allen Probes with a resolution of 8 h and 0.1 L shell. Loss rates follow a complex dynamic structure, imposed by the wave and plasma properties. Hiss effects can be strong, with minimum lifetimes (of ~1 day) moving from energies of ~100 keV at L ~ 5 up to ~2 MeV at L ~ 2 and stop abruptly, similarly to the observed energy‐dependent inner belt edge. Periods when the plasmasphere extends beyond L ~ 5 favor long‐lasting hiss losses from the outer belt. Such loss rates are embedded in a reduced Fokker‐Planck code and validated against Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer observations of the belts at all energy. Results are complemented with a sensitivity study involving different radial diffusion and lifetime models. Validation is carried out globally at all L shells and energies. The good agreement between simulations and observations demonstrates that hiss waves drive the slot formation during quiet times. Combined with transport, they sculpt the energy structure of the outer belt into an “S shape.” Low energy electrons (<0.3 MeV) are less subject to hiss scattering below L = 4. In contrast, 0.3–1.5 MeV electrons evolve in an environment that depopulates them as they migrate from L ~ 5 to L ~ 2.5. Ultrarelativistic electrons are not affected by hiss losses until L ~ 2–3.

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“…For instance, the 8–9 October 2012 storm, the 17 March 2013 storm, and the 28–29 June 2013 storm, as denoted by the red vertical lines in Figure , occurred corresponding to the southward turning of IMF B z and the enhancement of solar wind dynamic pressure. The dynamic physics of radiation belt relativistic electrons during the first two storms, including chorus wave acceleration, ULF wave‐driven radial diffusion, scattering loss due to plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves, and the effects of plasmaspheric erosion/recovery and magnetopause shadowing, have been extensively studied [e.g., Reeves et al ., ; Thorne et al ., ; Shprits et al ., ; J. Li et al ., ; W. Li et al ., ; Tu et al ., ; Hudson et al ., ; Yu et al ., ; Gkioulidou et al ., ; Xiao et al ., ].…”

Section: Long‐term Poststorm Decay Of Ultrarelativistic Electron Fluxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability of the pitch angle distribution of radiation belt ultrarelativistic electrons during and following intense geomagnetic storms: Van Allen Probes observations

Zou

et al. 2015

JGR Space Physics

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Fifteen months of pitch angle resolved Van Allen Probes Relativistic Electron‐Proton Telescope (REPT) measurements of differential electron flux are analyzed to investigate the characteristic variability of the pitch angle distribution of radiation belt ultrarelativistic (>2 MeV) electrons during storm conditions and during the long‐term poststorm decay. By modeling the ultrarelativistic electron pitch angle distribution as sinnα, where α is the equatorial pitch angle, we examine the spatiotemporal variations of the n value. The results show that, in general, n values increase with the level of geomagnetic activity. In principle, ultrarelativistic electrons respond to geomagnetic storms by becoming more peaked at 90° pitch angle with n values of 2–3 as a supportive signature of chorus acceleration outside the plasmasphere. High n values also exist inside the plasmasphere, being localized adjacent to the plasmapause and exhibiting energy dependence, which suggests a significant contribution from electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave scattering. During quiet periods, n values generally evolve to become small, i.e., 0–1. The slow and long‐term decays of the ultrarelativistic electrons after geomagnetic storms, while prominent, produce energy and L‐shell‐dependent decay time scales in association with the solar and geomagnetic activity and wave‐particle interaction processes. At lower L shells inside the plasmasphere, the decay time scales τd for electrons at REPT energies are generally larger, varying from tens of days to hundreds of days, which can be mainly attributed to the combined effect of hiss‐induced pitch angle scattering and inward radial diffusion. As L shell increases to L~3.5, a narrow region exists (with a width of ~0.5 L), where the observed ultrarelativistic electrons decay fastest, possibly resulting from efficient EMIC wave scattering. As L shell continues to increase, τd generally becomes larger again, indicating an overall slower loss process by waves at high L shells. Our investigation based upon the sinnα function fitting and the estimate of decay time scale offers a convenient and useful means to evaluate the underlying physical processes that play a role in driving the acceleration and loss of ultrarelativistic electrons and to assess their relative contributions.

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The role of ring current particle injections: Global simulations and Van Allen Probes observations during 17 March 2013 storm

Cited by 38 publications

References 30 publications

The 17 March 2013 storm: Synergy of observations related to electric field modes and their ionospheric and magnetospheric Effects

The 17 March 2013 storm: Synergy of observations related to electric field modes and their ionospheric and magnetospheric Effects

Effects of whistler mode hiss waves in March 2013

Variability of the pitch angle distribution of radiation belt ultrarelativistic electrons during and following intense geomagnetic storms: Van Allen Probes observations

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