Radial Transport of Electrons in the Radiation Belts Under the Effect of Ultra Low Frequency Waves

• Author / Creator

  O'Donnell, Scott W.

• For over 50 years, the study of Earth's radiation belts has been a major focus of the space physics community. Of great interest is the variability of energy in the belts, which is poorly understood and subject to intense investigation. We seek to explain how impulses from the Sun interact with Earth's geomagnetic field to generate ultra low frequency (ULF) waves that energize electrons in the outer belt.

  Using the ideal magnetohydrodynamic assumption ULF wave model of [Degeling et al., 2011], we will examine how shear Alfvén waves are excited by ULF compressional waves generated from a current driver on the magnetopause boundary. By taking the model outputs, we trace electron motion in the equatorial magnetosphere and examine how they are transported radially in the radiation belts. This procedure allows us to calculate the first and second L moments to assess transport for electrons in the fields of ULF waves.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Magnetohydrodynamic waves
  • Magnetospheric physics
  • Radial transport
  • Radiation belts
  • Ultra low frequency waves

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3CH5B

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.