Multi-satellite measurements of electron phase space density gradients in the Earth's magnetotail and their relation to geomagnetic activity and solar wind conditions

HR: 11:05h
AN: SM51E-04 [PDF]
TI: Multi-satellite measurements of electron phase space density gradients in the Earth's magnetotail and their relation to geomagnetic activity and solar wind conditions
AU: * Taylor, M G
EM: mggtt@lanl.gov
AF: Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Friedel, R H
EM: friedel@lanl.gov
AF: Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Reeves, G D
EM: reeves@lanl.gov
AF: Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Dunlop, M W
EM: M.W.Dunlop@rl.ac.uk
AF: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Space Sciences Division, Didcot, OX11 OQX United Kingdom
AU: Fritz, T A
EM: fritz@bu.edu
AF: Centre of Space Physics,, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 United States
AU: Daly, P
EM: daly@linpi.mpg.de
AF: Max-Planck-Institut f〉 Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, Max-Planck-Str. 2, Katlenburg-Lindau, D-37191 Germany
AU: Balogh, A
EM: a.balogh@ic.ac.uk
AF: Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, SW7 United Kingdom
AB: The variability of the intensity of energetic (MeV) `killer' electrons in the Earth's radiation belts has been a renewed area of interest in recent years, yet a major outstanding question is the origin of these particles. In this study we investigate whether the plasma sheet contains a sufficient population of energetic electrons to supply relativistic electron enhancements in the Earth's radiation belts by radial transport alone, or whether one needs to invoke other more localized acceleration processes. We have ordered the equatorial / central plasmasheet electron data from several satellites (GPS ($\sim$ 4 R$_{E}$), LANL geosynchronous (GEO) ($\sim$ 6.6 R$_{E}$),6 POLAR ($\sim$ 8 R$_{E}$) and CLUSTER ($\sim$ 18 R$_{E}$)) in phase space density (PSD). By combining these measurements at a particular value of the first adiabatic invariant we are able to examine the radial profile of PSD. In a recent study, POLAR data has been examined over a range of L and a peak in PSD at $\sim$ 4-6 R$_{E}$ has indicated the possibility of a localized source region. This result has been repeated in a study by the current authors, which also suggested a sufficient population at CLUSTER radial distances to supply the inner magnetosphere by radial transport, agreeing well with particle tracing models. In this current study we extend previous work by utilizing a large number of equatorial measurements by all 4 sets of satellites to examine the statistical nature of the PSD profile under a variety of geomagnetic and solar wind conditions.
DE: 2716 Energetic particles, precipitating
DE: 2720 Energetic particles, trapped
DE: 2740 Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics
DE: 2744 Magnetotail
DE: 2764 Plasma sheet
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting