Electron dropout echoes induced by interplanetary shock: Van Allen Probes observations

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Spence, Harlan
  • Reeves, Geoffrey D.
  • Zhou, X. Z.
  • Fu, Suiyan
  • Yuan, C. J.
  • Lui, A. T. Y.
  • Blake, J. B.
  • Rankin, Robert
  • Hao, Yixin
  • Baker, D. N.
  • Zong, Qiugang

• On 23 November 2012, a sudden dropout of the relativistic electron flux was observed after an interplanetary shock arrival. The dropout peaks at ∼1 MeV and more than 80% of the electrons disappeared from the drift shell. Van Allen twin Probes observed a sharp electron flux dropout with clear energy dispersion signals. The repeating flux dropout and recovery signatures, or “dropout echoes”, constitute a new phenomenon referred to as a “drifting electron dropout” with a limited initial spatial range. The azimuthal range of the dropout is estimated to be on the duskside, from ∼1300 to 0100 LT. We conclude that the shock-induced electron dropout is not caused by the magnetopause shadowing. The dropout and consequent echoes suggest that the radial migration of relativistic electrons is induced by the strong dusk-dawn asymmetric interplanetary shock compression on the magnetosphere.

• Date created

  2016

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Energetic Particle
  • Geosynchronous Orbit
  • Region
  • Protons
  • Injection Boundary Model
  • Flux
  • Plasma
  • Inner Magnetosphere
  • Geomagnetic Storms

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3W669P6V

• License

  © 2016 American Geophysical Union. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.