Fast injection of the relativistic electrons into the inner zone and the formation of the split‐zone structure during the Bastille Day storm in July 2000

Abstract

AbstractDuring the July 2000 geomagnetic storm, known as the Bastille Day storm, Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX)/Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT) observed a strong injection of ~1 MeV electrons into the slot region (L ~ 2.5) during the storm main phase. Then, during the following month, electrons were clearly seen diffusing inward down to L = 2 and forming a pronounced split structure encompassing a narrow, newly formed slot region around L = 3. SAMPEX observations are first compared with electron and proton observations on HEO‐3 and NOAA‐15 to validate that the observed unusual dynamics was not caused by proton contamination of the SAMPEX instrument. The time‐dependent 3‐D Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) simulation of 1 MeV electron flux evolution is compared with the SAMPEX/HILT observations. The results show that the VERB code predicts overall time evolution of the observed split structure. The simulated split structure is produced by pitch angle scattering into the Earth atmosphere of ~1 MeV electrons by plasmaspheric hiss.