A New Electron and Proton Radiation Belt Identified by CIRBE/REPTile‐2 Measurements After the Magnetic Super Storm of 10 May 2024
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Following the largest magnetic storm in 20 years (10 May 2024), REPTile‐2 on NASA's CIRBE satellite identified two new radiation belts containing 1.3–5 MeV electrons around L = 2.5–3.5 and 6.8–20 MeV protons around L = 2. The region around L = 2.5–3.5 is usually devoid of relativistic electrons due to wave‐particle interactions that scatter them into the atmosphere. However, these 1.3–5 MeV electrons in this new belt seemed unaffected until a magnetic storm on 28 June 2024, perturbed the region. The long‐lasting nature of this new electron belt has physical implications for the dependence of electron wave‐particle interactions on energy, plasma density, and magnetic field strength. The enhancement of protons around L = 2 exceeded an order of magnitude between 6.8 and 15 MeV forming a distinct new proton belt that appears even more stable. CIRBE, after a year of successful operation, malfunctioned 25 days before the super storm but returned to functionality 1 month after the storm, enabling these discoveries.
DOI: 10.1029/2024ja033504
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,070
Awards: G413529100, G4211250193, G4228657669, THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF CUBESAT: INNER RADIATION BELT EXPERIMENT (CIRBE) IS TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE FORMATION AND DECAY OF THE INNER BELT (L<2) ELECTRONS (100S OF KEV TO MULTIPLE MEV) AND TO DETERMINE THE INTENSITY AND DYNAMIC VARIATIONS OF THESE ELECTRONS WITH A STATE-OF-ART INSTRUMENT FITTED INTO A CUBESAT IN A HIGHLY INCLINED LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO). METHODOLOGY. CIRBE IS IN SOME WAYS SIMILAR TO OUR PREVIOUS VERY SUCCESSFUL CUBESAT (CSSWE) BUT DIFFERS IN THAT IT WILL HAVE EXTREME FINE ENERGY RESOLUTION (100S OF ENERGY CHANNELS INSTEAD OF 3). WE PROPOSE TO ADVANCE THE EXISTING REPTILE DESIGN BY INCORPORATING FULL PULSE HEIGHT ANALYSIS (PHA) WHICH HAS BEEN ROUTINELY PERFORMED ON REPT AND ADDITIONAL ANTI-COINCIDENCE TECHNIQUE WHICH HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE FRONT DETECTOR OF REPT SUCH THAT IT WILL HAVE THE FINE ENERGY RESOLUTION PLUS MUCH CLEANER MEASUREMENTS BUT STILL FIT IN A 3U CUBESAT. PHA WILL BE PERFORMED ONBOARD AND ONLY THE FINAL RESULTS: INTENSITY ENERGY SPECTRUM PITCH ANGLE DISTRIBUTION (PAD) WILL BE DOWNLOADED., On the Energy-Dependent Deep (L less than 3) Penetrations of Energetic Electrons (10s of keV to multi-MeV)
OpenAlex ID: W4407223965