Speaker
O. Santolik
Description
The physics of the creation, loss, and transport of radiation belt particles is intimately connected to the electric and magnetic fields which mediate these processes. A large range of field and particle interactions are involved in this physics from large-scale ring current ion and magnetic field dynamics to microscopic kinetic interactions of whistler-mode chorus waves with energetic electrons. To measure these kinds of radiation belt interactions, NASA implemented the two-satellite Van Allen Probes mission. As part of the mission, the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) investigation is an integrated set of instruments consisting of a tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer (MAG) and a Waves instrument which includes a tri-axial search coil magnetometer (MSC). These wave measurements include AC electric and magnetic fields from 10Hz to 12 kHz and single-axis electric field measurements from 10-400 kHz. We show examples of plasmapause identification and variation determined by the upper hybrid resonance, low frequency ULF pulsations and EMIC waves, and whistler mode waves including upper and lower band chorus. These data are compared with particle measurements to show relationships between wave activity and particle energization.
Primary author
Craig Kletzing
(Univeristy of Iowa)