Abstract
Future commercial, scientific, and other satellite missions require low-Earth-orbit (LEO) altitudes of 300–400 km for long-term successful space operations. The Earth’s radiation belt (ERB) is an inevitable obstacle for manned and other space missions. Precipitation of >30 keV energetic electrons from the ERB is one of the sources of ionization in LEO, space vehicles, in the ionosphere, and in the upper atmosphere. We show, in this work, that the area of electron precipitation from the outer ERB shifts equator-wards to Siberia. We further show a substantive decrease in the intensity of energetic electrons in the area of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) from the 23rd to the 24th solar cycles. These results can be attributed to, and explained by, variations in geomagnetic activity, with a noticeable change in the configuration of the Earth’s magnetic field during the 24th solar cycle. The diminishing SAA area and electron fluxes should allow elevation of the International Space Station to higher altitudes, thereby making these altitudes accessible to relevant space missions.
Highlights
The upper atmosphere is affected by energetic particles precipitating from the Earth’s radiation belt (ERB)
These current results present an important step towards understanding the dynamics of the equator-ward shift in intense electron precipitation during different phases of the solar cycle, and lay out a possible direction for understanding the processes involved in the transport of electrons from the outer ERB at the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere
We have presented an analysis performed on continuous observations covering the 23rd and 24th solar cycles recorded by detectors onboard the low-Earth-orbit NOAA/POES polar satellites
Summary
The upper atmosphere is affected by energetic particles precipitating from the Earth’s radiation belt (ERB). The ERB is formed by energetic electrons and ions with energies of tens of 30 keV and more. These particles can penetrate to low altitudes and lead to the ionization and excitation of neutral atoms and molecules of the upper atmosphere [1]. Fast electrons with energies E > 30 keV can enter the upper atmosphere at altitudes down to 50 km and, they can ionize the D-, E-, and F-layers of the ionosphere [2]. Electrons with small pitch angles can precipitate into the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere at mid- and high latitudes, which leads to heating of the atmosphere. The precipitation of electrons at high latitudes affects the entire ionosphere, including middle and equatorial latitudes
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