Commencement and Interruption of Relativistic Electron Dropout in the Heart of the Outer Radiation Belt Induced by a Magnetic Cloud Event

Abstract

AbstractWe analyze and discuss the commencement and interruption of the relativistic electron dropout in the heart of the outer radiation belt (L* = 4–5) induced by a typical magnetic cloud (MC) event. This MC event impinged the Earth’s magnetosphere on 31 October 2012 and caused a moderate geomagnetic storm with a special prolonged initial phase lasting for >13 hr. The relativistic electrons phase space density (PSD) dropout commenced at L* > 5 during the initial phase. The PSD dropout penetrated deep beyond the heart of the radiation belt (reached L* < 4) at the onset of the main phase, while it was partially enhanced with a local PSD maximum around L* = 4.5, thus causing the interruption of the PSD dropout. The dropout became pronounced at L* > ∼4.7 while the local PSD maximum was maintained throughout the main phase. During the recovery phase, the dropout totally disappeared at L* < 5.5 with relativistic electron PSD gradually recovering to pre‐event level or higher. Further investigations on solar wind parameters and plasma waves give evidence that (a) persistent high dynamic pressure and the triggered Ultra‐Low Frequency waves contribute to the dropout of electrons to interplanetary space during the initial phase and the onset of the main phase; (b) local acceleration by chorus waves during the main phase and recovery phase could explain the interruption of the dropout. Our study underlines the persistent high dynamic pressure competing with intense chorus waves in triggering the commencement and interruption of the relativistic electrons PSD dropout in the heart of the outer radiation belt.