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We deduce the electron plasma density from the NASA Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves and Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science measurements and extract the plasmasphere boundaries throughout 2012–2019. We use the gradient method for locating the plasmapause at Lpp and the 100 cm−3 density threshold for the plasmasphere outer edge at L100. We show how, where, and when both Lpp and L100 coincide when the plasmapause gradient exists. L100 is demonstrated to bound the plasmasphere at large L-shell in the dusk. The plasmasphere expands farther out than predicted from the Carpenter and Anderson (1992, https://doi.org/10.1029/91JA01548) model. We generate statistics of the plasmasphere boundaries binned by L-shell, magnetic local time (MLT), and geomagnetic indices, leading to new models for radiation belt codes. The L100 boundary commonly varies by ∼±0.5 L, increasing with activity up to ∼±1 L, becomes MLT-dependent for Kp > ∼2, and is preferentially steep on the night side for non-quiet times and a wider region in the afternoon sector.

The Van Allen Probes Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) instrument provided measurements of electric fields and spacecraft floating potentials over a wide dynamic range from DC to 6.5 kHz near the equatorial plane of the inner magnetosphere between 600 km altitude and 5.8 Re geocentric distance from October 2012 to November 2019. The two identical instruments provided data to investigate the quasi-static and low frequency fields that drive large-scale convection, waves induced by interplanetary shock impacts that result in rapid relativistic particle energization, ultra-low frequency (ULF) MHD waves which can drive radial diffusion, and higher frequency wave fields and time domain structures that provide particle pitch angle scattering and energization. In addition, measurements of the spacecraft potential provided a density estimate in cold plasmas ( < 20 eV $<20~\text{eV}$ ) from 10 to 3000 cm − 3 $3000~\text{cm}^{-3}$ . The EFW instrument provided analog electric field signals to EMFISIS for wave analysis, and it received 3d analog signals from the EMFISIS search coil sensors for inclusion in high time resolution waveform data. The electric fields and potentials were measured by current-biased spherical sensors deployed at the end of four 50 m booms in the spacecraft spin plane (spin period ∼ 11 sec $\sim11~\text{sec}$ ) and a pair of stacer booms with a total tip-tip separation of 15 m along the spin axis. Survey waveform measurements at 16 and/or 32 S/sec (with a nominal uncertainty of 0.3 mV/m over the prime mission) were available continuously while burst waveform captures at up to 16,384 S/sec provided high frequency waveforms. This post-mission paper provides the reader with information useful for accessing, understanding and using EFW data. Selected science results are discussed and used to highlight instrument capabilities. Science quantities, data quality and error sources, and analysis routines are documented.

The plasmapause marks the limit of the plasmasphere and is characterized by a sudden change in plasma density. This can influence the other regions of the magnetosphere, including due to different waves circulating inside and outside the plasmasphere. In the present work, we first compare the positions of the plasmapause measured by the NASA Van Allen Probes in 2015 with those of the Space Weather Integrated Forecasting Framework plasmasphere model (SPM). Using the Van Allen Probes and other satellite observations like PROBA-V, we investigate the links that can exist with the radiation belt boundaries. The inward motion of the outer radiation belt associated with sudden flux enhancements of energetic electrons can indeed be directly related to the plasmapause erosion during geomagnetic storms, suggesting possible links. Moreover, the position of the plasmapause projected in the ionosphere is compared with the ionospheric convection boundary. The equatorward motion of the plasmapause projected in the ionosphere is related to the equatorward edge motion of the auroral oval that goes to lower latitudes during storms due to the geomagnetic perturbation, like the low altitude plasmapause and the outer radiation belt. The links between these different regions are investigated during quiet periods, for which the plasmasphere is widely extended, as well as during geomagnetic storms for which plumes are generated, and then afterwards rotates with the plasmasphere. The magnetic local time dependence of these boundaries is especially studied on March 14, 2014 after a sudden northward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and for the geomagnetic storm of August 26, 2018, showing the importance of the magnetic field topology and of the convection electric field in the interactions between these different regions eventually leading to the coupling between magnetosphere and ionosphere.

Observations from Magnetospheric MultiScale (similar to 8 Re) and Van Allen Probes (similar to 5 and 4 Re) show that the initial dayside response to a small interplanetary shock is a double-peaked dawnward electric field, which is distinctly different from the usual bipolar (dawnward and then duskward) signature reported for large shocks. The associated ExB flow is radially inward. The shock compressed the magnetopause to inside 8 Re, as observed by Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS), with a speed that is comparable to the ExB flow. The magnetopause speed and the ExB speeds were significantly less than the propagation speed of the pulse from MMS to the Van Allen Probes and GOES-13, which is consistent with the MHD fast mode. There were increased fluxes of energetic electrons up to several MeV. Signatures of drift echoes and response to ULF waves also were seen. These observations demonstrate that even very weak shocks can have significant impact on the radiation belts. Plain Language Summary Very fast moving clouds of charged particles are ejected from the Sun when it is active. Shock waves often develop at the cloud front as it plows through the solar wind. When the shock hits the Earth's magnetic field, it can push the Earth's magnetic shield inside the distance where many communication and weather satellites orbit. The energy associated with the shock can also very rapidly increase the energy of electrons trapped in the Earth's magnetic field in the Van Allen Radiation belts. These electrons can damage satellites. We have used four satellites arrayed at different locations on the dayside of the Earth's magnetic field to show, for the first time, that small shocks have a different effect than the large shocks that are usually studied but that even small shocks can produce relativistic electrons., QC 20171019

An interesting form of "zipper-like" magnetosonic waves consisting of two bands of interleaved periodic rising-tone spectra was newly observed by the Van Allen Probes, the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), and the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) missions. The two discrete bands are distinct in frequency and intensity; however, they maintain the same periodicity which varies in space and time, suggesting that they possibly originate from one single source intrinsically. In one event, the zipper-like magnetosonic waves exhibit the same periodicity as a constant-frequency magnetosonic wave and an electrostatic emission, but the modulation comes from neither density fluctuations nor ULF waves. A statistical survey based on 3.5 years of multisatellite observations shows that zipper-like magnetosonic waves mainly occur on the dawnside to noonside, in a frequency range between 10 f(cp) and f(LHR). The zipper-like magnetosonic waves may provide a new clue to nonlinear excitation or modulation process, while its cause still remains to be fully understood., QC 20170412

Plasmasphere erosion carries cold dense plasma of ionospheric origin in a storm-enhanced density plume extending from dusk toward and through the noontime cusp and dayside magnetopause and back across polar latitudes in a polar tongue of ionization. We examine dusk sector (20 MLT) plasmasphere erosion during the 17 March 2013 storm (Dst ~ −130 nT) using simultaneous, magnetically aligned direct sunward ion flux observations at high altitude by Van Allen Probes RBSP-A (at ~3.0 Re) and at ionospheric heights (~840 km) by DMSP F-18. Plasma erosion occurs at both high and low altitudes where the subauroral polarization stream flow overlaps the outer plasmasphere. At ~20 UT, RBSP-A observed ~1.2E12 m−2 s−1 erosion flux, while DMSP F-18 observed ~2E13 m−2 s−1 sunward flux. We find close similarities at high and low altitudes between the erosion plume in both invariant latitude spatial extent and plasma characteristics., University of Minnesota (subaward to Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

On 17 March 2013, a large magnetic storm significantly depleted the multi-MeV radiation belt. We present multi-instrument observations from the Van Allen Probes spacecraft Radiat ion Belt Storm Probe A and Radiation Belt Storm Probe B at ~6 Re in the midnight sector magnetosphere and from ground-based ionospheric sensors during a substorm dipolarization followed by rapid reenergization of multi-MeV electrons. A 50% increase in magnetic field magnitude occurred simultaneously with dramatic increases in 100 keV electron fluxes and a 100 times increase in VLF wave intensity. The 100 keV electrons and intense VLF waves provide a seed population and energy source for subsequent radiation belt enhancements. Highly relativistic (>2 MeV) electron fluxes increased immediately at L* ~ 4.5 and 4.5 MeV flux increased >90 times at L* = 4 over 5 h. Although plasmasphere expansion brings the enhanced radiation belt multi-MeV fluxes inside the plasmasphere several hours postsubstorm, we localize their prompt reenergization during the event to regions outside the plasmasphere., University of Minnesota (Van Allen Probes subaward to Massachusetts Institute of Technology), United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Prime contract NAS5-01072), United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (grant NNX10AK99G), United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (grant NNX13AE34G), United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (grant NNX09AF51G), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (grant AGS-1203747)