Relative positions of the polar boundary of the outer electron radiation belt and the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval
<p>Finding the position of the polar boundary of the outer electron radiation belt, relative to the position of the auroral oval, is a long-standing problem. Here we analyze it using the data of the METEOR-M1 auroral satellite for the period from 11 November 2009 to 27 March 2010. The geom...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/36/1131/2018/angeo-36-1131-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Finding the position of the polar boundary of the outer electron
radiation belt, relative to the position of the auroral oval, is a
long-standing problem. Here we analyze it using the data of the METEOR-M1
auroral satellite for the period from 11 November 2009 to 27 March 2010. The
geomagnetic conditions during the analyzed period were comparatively quiet.
METEOR-M1 has a polar solar-synchronous circular orbit with an altitude of
≈ 832 km, a period of 101.3 min, and an inclination of
98°. We analyze flux observations of auroral electrons with
energies between 0.03 and 16 keV, and electrons with energies > 100 keV,
measured simultaneously by the GGAK-M set of instruments, composed of
semiconductors, scintillator detectors, and electrostatic analyzers. We
assume that in the absence of geomagnetic storms the polar boundary of the
outer radiation belt can be identified as a decrease in the count rate of
precipitating energetic electrons to the background level. It was found that
this boundary can be located both inside the auroral oval or equatorward of
the equatorial boundary of the auroral precipitation. It was also found that
for slightly disturbed geomagnetic conditions the polar boundary of the outer
radiation belt is almost always located inside the auroral oval. We observe
that the difference between the position of the polar boundary of the outer
radiation belt and the position of the equatorial boundary of the auroral
precipitation depend on the AE and PC indices of geomagnetic activity. The
implications of these results in the analysis of the formation of the outer
radiation belt are discussed.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |