The Role of Substorms in Radiation Belt Particle Enhancements

Abstract:

Observational and numerical modeling evidence demonstrates that magnetospheric substorms are a coherent set of processes within the coupled near-Earth system. This supports the view that substorms are a global configurational instability. The magnetosphere progresses through a specific sequence of energy-loading and stress-developing states until the entire system suddenly reconfigures. Related long-term studies of relativistic electron fluxes in the Earth’s magnetosphere have revealed many of their temporal occurrence characteristics and their relationships to solar wind drivers. Early work showed the obvious and powerful role played by solar wind speed in producing subsequent high-energy electron enhancements. More recent work has also pointed out the key role that the north-south component of the IMF plays: In order to observe major relativistic electron enhancements, there must typically be a significant interval of southward IMF along with a period of high (V_SW≥500 km/s) solar wind speed. This has led to the view that enhancements in geomagnetic activity (i.e., magnetospheric substorms) are normally a key first step in the acceleration of radiation belt electrons to high energies. A second step is suggested to be a period of powerful low-frequency waves that is closely related to high values of V_SW or higher frequency (“chorus”) waves that rapidly heat and accelerate electrons. Hence, substorms provide a “seed” population, while high-speed solar wind drives the acceleration to relativistic energies in this two-step geomagnetic activity scenario. This picture seems to apply to most storms examined whether associated with high-speed streams or with CME-related events. In this talk, we address the substorm relationships as they pertain to high-energy electron acceleration and transport. We also discuss various models of electron energization that have recently been advanced. We present remarkable new results from the Van Allen Probes (Radiation Belt Storm Probes) mission that confirm and greatly extend these key ideas.