Simulations of the inner magnetospheric energetic electrons using the IMPTAM-VERB coupled model

Abstract

In this study, we present initial results of the coupling between the Inner Magnetospheric Particle Transport and Acceleration Model (IMPTAM) and the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB-3D) code. IMPTAM traces electrons of 10−100 keV energies from the plasma sheet (L=9 Re) to inner L-shell regions. The flux evolution modeled by IMPTAM is used at the low energy and outer L∗ computational boundaries of the VERB code (assuming a dipole approximation) to perform radiation belt simulations of energetic electrons. The model was tested on the March 17th, 2013 storm, for a six-day period. Four different simulations were performed and their results compared to satellites observations from Van Allen probes and GOES. The coupled IMPTAM-VERB model reproduces evolution and storm-time features of electron fluxes throughout the studied storm in agreement with the satellite data (within ∼0.5 orders of magnitude). Including dynamics of the low energy population at L∗=6.6 increases fluxes closer to the heart of the belt and has a strong impact in the VERB simulations at all energies. However, inclusion of magnetopause losses leads to drastic flux decreases even below L∗=3. The dynamics of low energy electrons (max. 10s of keV) do not affect electron fluxes at energies ≥900 keV. Since the IMPTAM-VERB coupled model is only driven by solar wind parameters and the Dst and Kp indexes, it is suitable as a forecasting tool. In this study, we demonstrate that the estimation of electron dynamics with satellite-data-independent models is possible and very accurate.