Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites offer extensive data of the radiation belt region, but utilizing these observations is challenging due to potential contamination and difficulty of intercalibration with spacecraft measurements at Highly Elliptic Orbit (HEO) that can observe all equatorial pitch-angles. This study introduces a new intercalibration method for satellite measurements of energetic electrons in the radiation belts using a data assimilation approach. We demonstrate our technique by intercalibrating the electron flux measurements of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) NOAA-15,-16,-17,-18,-19 and MetOp-02 against Van Allen Probes observations from October 2012 to September 2013. We use a reanalysis of the radiation belts obtained by assimilating Van Allen Probes and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) observations into 3-D Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB-3D) code simulations via a standard Kalman filter. We compare the reanalysis to the POES dataset and estimate the flux ratios at each time, location and energy. From these ratios we derive energy and $L^*$ dependent recalibration coefficients. To validate our results, we analyse on-orbit conjunctions between POES and Van Allen Probes. The conjunction recalibration coefficients and the data-assimilative estimated coefficients show strong agreement, indicating that the differences between POES and Van Allen Probes observations remain within a factor of two. Additionally, the use of data assimilation allows for improved statistics, as the possible comparisons are considerably increased. Data-assimilative intercalibration of satellite observations is an efficient approach that enables intercalibration of large datasets using short periods of data.

Whistler-mode chorus waves play a crucial role in accelerating electrons in Earth’s outer radiation belt to relativistic and ultrarelativistic energies. While this electron evolution is typically modeled using a diffusion approximation for scattering, high-amplitude chorus waves induce nonlinear resonant effects that challenge this approach on short time scales. The long-term influence of these nonlinear interactions on radiation belt dynamics remains an unresolved issue. Recent simplified models suggest rapid nonlinear acceleration to ultrarelativistic energies, with formation of butterfly distributions during parallel wave propagation. In this study, we introduce a novel numerical approach based on Liouville phase space density mapping to investigate nonlinear scattering by high-amplitude waves over extended periods (minutes and beyond). We use a numerical wave field model of lower-band chorus risers that includes realistic fine-spectral features including subpacket modulations, phase decoherence, and jumps in wave normal angle. By incorporating these detailed spectral characteristics of the waves, we demonstrate that the rapid acceleration occurs across a broader pitch-angle range, forming a flat-top distribution. Similar effect is observed as the repetition period of chorus elements becomes shorter, with the additional effect of increased electron precipitation due to transition from bursty to continuous flux profiles in the loss cone. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating nonlinear effects and fine-scale wave properties in the future development of high-energy electron models for the outer radiation belt.

The spatial distribution of whistler-mode wave emissions in the Jovian magnetosphere measured during the first 45 perijove orbits of Juno is investigated. A double-belt structure in whistler-mode wave intensity is revealed. Between the two whistler-mode belts, there exists a region devoid of 100s keV electrons near the magnetic equator at 9 < M < 16. Insufficient source electron population in such an electron “slot” region is a possible explanation for the relatively lower wave activity compared to the whistler-mode belts. The wave intensity of the outer whistler-mode belt measured in the dusk-premidnight sector is significantly stronger than in the postmidnight-dawn sector. We suggest that the inherent dawn-dusk asymmetries in source electron distribution and/or auroral hiss emission rather than the modulation of solar cycle are more likely to result in the azimuthal variation of outer whistler-mode belt intensity during the first 45 Juno perijove orbits.

There have been a number of theories proposed concerning the loss of relativistic electrons from the radiation belts. However, direct observations of loss were not possible on a number of previous missions due to the large field of view of the instruments and often high-altitude orbits of satellites that did not allow researchers to isolate the precipitating electrons from the stably trapped. We use measurements from the ELFIN-L suit of instruments flown on Lomonosov spacecraft at LEO orbit, which allows us to distinguish stably trapped from the drift loss cone electrons. The sun-synchronous orbit of Lomonosov allows us to quantify scattering that occurred into the loss cone on the dawn-side and the dusk-side magnetosphere. The loss at MeV energies is observed predominantly on the dawn-side, consistent with the loss induced by the chorus waves. The companion data publication provides processed measurements.

Understanding the dynamic evolution of relativistic electrons in the Earth’s radiation belts during both storm and non-storm times is a challenging task. The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) focus group “Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling” (QARBM) has selected two storm time and two non-storm time events that occurred during the second year of the Van Allen Probes mission for in-depth study. Here, we perform simulations for these GEM challenge events using the 3-Dimensional Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB-3D) code. We set up the outer $L^*$ boundary using data from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and validate the simulation results against satellite observations from both the GOES and Van Allen Probe missions for 0.9 MeV electrons. Our results show that the position of the plasmapause plays a significant role in the dynamic evolution of relativistic electrons. The magnetopause shadowing effect is included by using last closed drift shell (LCDS), and it is shown to significantly contribute to the dropouts of relativistic electrons at high $L^*$.

Reconstruction and prediction of the state of the near-Earth space environment is important for anomaly analysis, development of empirical models and understanding of physical processes. Accurate reanalysis or predictions that account for uncertainties in the associated model and the observations, can be obtained by means of data assimilation. The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is one of the most promising filtering tools for non-linear and high dimensional systems in the context of terrestrial weather prediction. In this study, we adapt traditional ensemble based filtering methods to perform data assimilation in the radiation belts. We use a one-dimensional radial diffusion model with a standard Kalman filter (KF) to assess the convergence of the EnKF. Furthermore, with the split-operator technique, we develop two new three-dimensional EnKF approaches for electron phase space density that account for radial and local processes, and allow for reconstruction of the full 3D radiation belt space. The capabilities and properties of the proposed filter approximations are verified using Van Allen Probe and GOES data. Additionally, we validate the two 3D split-operator Ensemble Kalman filters against the 3D split-operator KF. We show how the use of the split-operator technique allows us to include more physical processes in our simulations and offers computationally efficient data assimilation tools that deliver accurate approximations to the optimal solution of the KF and are suitable for real-time forecasting. Future applications of the EnKF to direct assimilation of fluxes and non-linear estimation of electron lifetimes are discussed.

Sustained periods of southward interplanetary magnetic field can result in strong magnetospheric convection, during which, the Alfven layer, separating regions of sunward convection and closed drift paths, migrates earthwards. Plasmasheet electrons then have direct access to the inner magnetosphere, traversing the dawn sector before crossing the magnetopause, and present a potential seed population for the radiation belts. Here we examine, for the first time, whether energetic electrons can be sufficiently energised during their drift, via resonant interactions with whistler-mode chorus waves, so as to pass the Alfven layer prior to leaving the system. We utilise a natural coordinate system for magnetosphere convection, (U,B,K) space, in which we calculate the drift trajectories, electron energies on open drift paths, and drift times. The acceleration time from resonant chorus-wave particle interactions is calculated using the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt model (VERB) first as a 2-D diffusion equation and then in 4-D convection-diffusion mode. Comparing the drift times to the acceleration timescales we find that interactions with chorus waves do result in a portion of the electrons on open drift paths passing the Alfven energy. However, whether this acceleration occurs sufficiently quickly depends on the energy distribution of the electron population.

Fast-localized electron loss, resulting from interactions with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves, can produce deepening minima in phase space density (PSD) radial profiles. Here, we perform a statistical analysis of local PSD minima to quantify how readily these are associated with radiation belt depletions. The statistics of PSD minima observed over a year are compared to the Versatile Electron Radiation Belts (VERB) simulations, both including and excluding EMIC waves. The observed minima distribution can only be achieved in the simulation including EMIC waves, indicating their importance in the dynamics of the radiation belts. By analyzing electron flux depletions in conjunction with the observed PSD minima, we show that, in the heart of the outer radiation belt (L*<5), up to 45% of multi-MeV electron depletions are associated with PSD minima, demonstrating that fast localized loss by interactions with EMIC waves are a common and crucial process for ultra-relativistic electron populations.

Radial diffusion is one of the dominant physical mechanisms driving acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons. A number of parameterizations for radial diffusion coefficients have been developed, each differing in the dataset used. Here, we investigate the performance of different parameterizations by Brautigam and Albert (2000), Brautigam et al (2005), Ozeke et al. (2014), Ali et al. (2015, 2016); Ali (2016), and Liu et al. (2016) on long-term radiation belt modeling using the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) code, and compare the results to Van Allen Probes observations. First, 1-D radial diffusion simulations are performed, isolating the contribution of solely radial diffusion. We then take into account effects of local acceleration and loss showing additional 3-D simulations, including diffusion across pitch-angle and energy, as well as mixed diffusion. For the L* range studied, the difference between simulations with Brautigam and Albert (2000), Ozeke et al. (2014), and Liu et al. (2016) parameterizations is shown to be small, with Brautigam and Albert (2000) offering the best agreement with observations. Using Ali et al. (2016)’s parameterization tended to result in a lower flux at 1 MeV than both the observations and the VERB simulations using the other coefficients. We find that the 3-D simulations are less sensitive to the radial diffusion coefficient chosen than the 1-D simulations, suggesting that for 3-D radiation belt models, a similar result is likely to be achieved, regardless of whether Brautigam and Albert (2000), Ozeke et al. (2014), and Liu et al. (2016) parameterizations are used.

During geomagnetic storms, the rapid depletion of the high-energy (several MeV) outer radiation belt electrons is a result of loss to the interplanetary medium through the magnetopause, outward radial diffusion and loss to the atmosphere due to wave-particle interactions. We have performed a statistical study of 110 storms using pitch angle resolved electron flux measurement from the Van Allen Probes mission and found that inside of the radiation belt (L*=3-5) the number of storms that result in depletion electrons with equatorial pitch angle α=30 is higher than number of storms that result in depletion of electrons with equatorial pitch angle α=75. We conclude that this is an indication of electron scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. At the outer edge of the radiation belt (L* >= 5.2) the number of storms that result in depletion is also large (~40-50%), supporting the significance of the magnetopause shadowing effect and outward radial transport.

In this study we investigate two distinct loss mechanisms responsible for the rapid dropouts of radiation belt electrons by assimilating data from Van Allen Probes A and B and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) 13 and 15 into a 3-D diffusion model. In particular, we examine the respective contribution of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave scattering and magnetopause shadowing for values of the first adiabatic invariant μ ranging from 300 to 3000 MeV G. We inspect the innovation vector and perform a statistical analysis to quantitatively assess the effect of both processes as a function of various geomagnetic indices, solar wind parameters, and radial distance from the Earth. Our results are in agreement with previous studies that demonstrated the energy dependence of these two mechanisms. Loss from L* = 4 to L* = 4.8 is dominated by EMIC wave scattering (μ ≥ 900 MeV G) and may amount to between 10%/hr to 30%/hr of the maximum value of phase space density (PSD) over all L shells for fixed first and second adiabatic invariants. Magnetopause shadowing is shown to deplete electrons across all energies, mostly between L* = 5 and L* = 6.6, resulting in loss from 50%/hr to 70%/hr of the maximum PSD. We also identify a boundary located between L* = 3.5 and L* = 5.2 clearly separating the regions where each mechanism dominates. Nevertheless, during times of enhanced geomagnetic activity, both processes can operate beyond such location and encompass the entire outer radiation belt.