Publication Date:
2015-08-21
Description:
Understanding how the relativistic electron fluxes drop out in the outer radiation belt under different conditions is of great importance. To investigate which mechanisms may affect the dropouts under different solar wind conditions, 1.5-6.0 MeV electron flux dropout events associated with 223 Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) from 1994 to 2003 are studied using the observations of SAMPEX satellite. According to the superposed epoch analysis, it is found that high solar wind dynamic pressure with the peak median value of about 7 nPa, is corresponding to the dropout of the median of the Radiation Belt Content (RBC) index to 20 percent of the level before stream interface arrival; whereas low dynamic pressure with the peak median value of about 3 nPa, is related to the dropout of the median of RBC index to 40 percent of the level before stream interface arrival. Furthermore, the influences of Russell-McPherron effect with respect to Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) orientation on dropouts is considered. It is pointed out that under positive Russell-McPherron effect (+RM effect) condition, the median of RBC index can drop to 23 percent of the level before stream interface arrival; while for negative Russell-McPherron-effect (-RM effect) events, the median of RBC index only drops to 37 percent of the level before stream interface arrival. From the evolution of phase space density profiles, the effect of +RM on dropouts can be through non-adiabatic loss.
Print ISSN:
0148-0227
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
