Effect of low energy electron injection on storm-time evolution of radiation belt energetic electrons: three-dimensional modeling

Abstract

Using the STEERB (storm-time evolution of electron radiation belt) code, we simulate the evolution of radiation belt energetic electrons during geomagnetic storms in the case of low energy electron injection. The STEERB code is used to solve the three-dimensional Fokker–Planck diffusion equation which incorporates wave-particle interaction, Coulomb collisions and radial diffusion. Numerical simulations show that under the short time (∼1 h) injection of low energy (0.1 MeV≤Ek≤0.2 MeV) fluxes of radiation belt energetic electrons can increase during the entire storm period. During the main and recovery phases, such injection efficiently enhances chorus-driven acceleration of radiation belt energetic electrons, allowing fluxes of energetic electrons by a factor of 1–2 orders higher than those in the absence of injection. The current results indicate that substorm-induced electron injection must be incorporated to investigate the evolution of radiation belt energetic electrons.