1. Comparative Observations of the Outer Belt Electron Fluxes and Precipitated Relativistic Electrons.
- Author
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Vidal‐Luengo, Sergio E., Blum, Lauren W., Bruno, Alessandro, Guzik, T. Gregory, de Nolfo, Georgia, Ficklin, Anthony W., Kataoka, Ryuho, and Torii, Shoji
- Subjects
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RELATIVISTIC electrons , *ELECTRONS , *RADIATION belts , *UPPER atmosphere , *SOLAR activity , *ELECTRON traps - Abstract
Relativistic electron precipitation (REP) refers to the release of high‐energy electrons initially trapped in the outer radiation belt, which then precipitate into Earth's upper atmosphere, contributing significantly to the rapid depletion of radiation belt electron flux. This study presents a statistical analysis of REP observations collected by the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) experiment aboard the International Space Station from 2015 to the present day. Specifically, the analysis utilizes count rates acquired from the two top scintillators constituting the top charge detector, each sensitive to electrons with energies above 1.5 and 3.4 MeV, respectively. Analysis of CALET data reveals a previously unreported semi‐annual variation in the occurrence of REP events. REP periodicities resemble those observed for trapped electron fluxes in the outer belt. Furthermore, their amplitude follows the overall trend of solar wind high‐speed streams and the solar activity. Plain Language Summary: Relativistic electron precipitation (REP) refers to the release, toward the upper atmosphere, of high energy electrons initially trapped in a torus shaped region around Earth known as the outer Van Allen radiation belt. REP is relevant as it contributes to the fast depletion of the electrons from this region. This study presents a statistical analysis of the REP observations made by the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) experiment on board the International Space Station (2015–present). Data from CALET experiment reveals a previously unreported 6‐month periodicity similar to those observed for high energy electrons in the outer belt. Key Points: Semi‐annual variation of relativistic electron precipitation (REP) have been observed for the first timeReported periodicities have been compared with those characterizing the outer belt electron fluxesThe temporal variation in the REP and the trapped fluxes were found to be in strong correlation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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