Storm-time formation of a relativistic electron belt and some relevant phenomena in other magnetospheric plasma domains

• Published in: Advances in space research 2005, Vol.36 (12), p.2392-2400
• Main Authors: Tverskaya, L.V., Ivanova, T.A., Pavlov, N.N., Reizman, S.Ya, Rubinstein, I.A., Sosnovets, E.N., Veden’kin, N.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Plasma pressure; Polar electrojet; Radiation belt; Relativistic electrons; Ring current
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2003.09.071

An empirical formula relating the strength of a storm given by its |Dst| max with the L-coordinate of the peak of storm-injected relativistic electrons is one of a few well-confirmed quantitative relations found in the magneto-spheric physics. We successively extended a dataset of the formula’s basic storms with several events of high Dst-amplitude up to the highest observed |Dst| max = 600 nT. Possible applying of the formula to the predicting of the ring-current plasma-pressure distribution and the lowest westward electrojet position for a storm are discussed. We have also analyzed the 2000–2001 years’ data on relativistic electrons from our instruments installed on EXPRESS-A (geosynchronous orbit; E e = 0.8–6 MeV), Molniya-3 ( h = 500 × 40 000 km, i = 63°; E e = 0.8–5.5 MeV) and GLONASS ( h = 20 000 km, i = 64°; E e ∼ l MeV) along with other correlated measurements: GOES series ( E e > 2 MeV), geomagnetic indices (Dst, AE, AL) and interplanetary parameters (solar wind, IMF). The goal is to investigate which outer conditions are most responsible for the high/low output of the storm-injected relativistic electrons. For the geosynchronous orbit, two factors are found as the necessary condition of the highest electron output: high and long-lasting substorm activity on a storm recovery phase and high velocity of solar wind. On the contrary, extremely low substorm activity surely observed during whole the storm recovery phase constitutes a sufficient condition of the non-increased after-storm electron intensity. For the first time found cases of the increased after-storm electron intensity observed at the inner L-shells with no simultaneously seen increase in the geosynchronous distances are presented.