Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data
Abstract Relativistic electrons in the Earth's outer radiation belt are a significant space weather hazard. Satellites in GPS‐type orbits pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt where they may be exposed to large fluxes of relativistic electrons. In this study we conduct an extreme v...
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Wiley
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Space Weather |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003436 |
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| author | Nigel P. Meredith Thomas E. Cayton Michael D. Cayton Richard B. Horne |
| author_facet | Nigel P. Meredith Thomas E. Cayton Michael D. Cayton Richard B. Horne |
| author_sort | Nigel P. Meredith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Relativistic electrons in the Earth's outer radiation belt are a significant space weather hazard. Satellites in GPS‐type orbits pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt where they may be exposed to large fluxes of relativistic electrons. In this study we conduct an extreme value analysis of the daily average relativistic electron flux in Global Positioning System orbit as a function of energy and L using data from the US NS41 satellite from 10 December 2000 to 25 July 2020. The 1 in 10 year flux at L = 4.5, in the heart of the outer radiation belt, decreases with increasing energy ranging from 8.2 × 106 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 0.6 MeV to 33 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 8.0 MeV. The 1 in 100 year is a factor of 1.1–1.7 larger than the corresponding 1 in 10 year event. The 1 in 10 year flux at L = 6.5, on field lines which map to the vicinity of geostationary orbit, decrease with increasing energy ranging from 6.2 × 105 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 0.6 MeV to 0.48 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 8.0 MeV. Here, the 1 in 100 year event is a factor of 1.1–13 times larger than the corresponding 1 in 10 year event, with the value of the factor increasing with increasing energy. Our analysis suggests that the fluxes of relativistic electrons with energies in the range 0.6 ≤ E ≤ 2.0 MeV in the region 4.25 ≤ L ≤ 4.75 have an upper bound. In contrast, further out and at higher energies the fluxes of relativistic electrons are largely unbounded. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89dd7e698c7540ce99b08b4a8cd0ad86 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1542-7390 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Space Weather |
| spelling | doaj-art-89dd7e698c7540ce99b08b4a8cd0ad862025-01-14T16:27:02ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902023-06-01216n/an/a10.1029/2023SW003436Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR DataNigel P. Meredith0Thomas E. Cayton1Michael D. Cayton2Richard B. Horne3British Antarctic Survey Natural Environment Research Council Cambridge United KingdomSanta Fe NM USASanta Fe NM USABritish Antarctic Survey Natural Environment Research Council Cambridge United KingdomAbstract Relativistic electrons in the Earth's outer radiation belt are a significant space weather hazard. Satellites in GPS‐type orbits pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt where they may be exposed to large fluxes of relativistic electrons. In this study we conduct an extreme value analysis of the daily average relativistic electron flux in Global Positioning System orbit as a function of energy and L using data from the US NS41 satellite from 10 December 2000 to 25 July 2020. The 1 in 10 year flux at L = 4.5, in the heart of the outer radiation belt, decreases with increasing energy ranging from 8.2 × 106 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 0.6 MeV to 33 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 8.0 MeV. The 1 in 100 year is a factor of 1.1–1.7 larger than the corresponding 1 in 10 year event. The 1 in 10 year flux at L = 6.5, on field lines which map to the vicinity of geostationary orbit, decrease with increasing energy ranging from 6.2 × 105 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 0.6 MeV to 0.48 cm−2s−1sr−1 MeV−1 at E = 8.0 MeV. Here, the 1 in 100 year event is a factor of 1.1–13 times larger than the corresponding 1 in 10 year event, with the value of the factor increasing with increasing energy. Our analysis suggests that the fluxes of relativistic electrons with energies in the range 0.6 ≤ E ≤ 2.0 MeV in the region 4.25 ≤ L ≤ 4.75 have an upper bound. In contrast, further out and at higher energies the fluxes of relativistic electrons are largely unbounded.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003436extreme space weatherrelativistic electronsmedium Earth orbitextreme value analysis |
| spellingShingle | Nigel P. Meredith Thomas E. Cayton Michael D. Cayton Richard B. Horne Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data Space Weather extreme space weather relativistic electrons medium Earth orbit extreme value analysis |
| title | Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data |
| title_full | Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data |
| title_fullStr | Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data |
| title_short | Extreme Relativistic Electron Fluxes in GPS Orbit: Analysis of NS41 BDD‐IIR Data |
| title_sort | extreme relativistic electron fluxes in gps orbit analysis of ns41 bdd iir data |
| topic | extreme space weather relativistic electrons medium Earth orbit extreme value analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003436 |
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