State of the art in radiation belt research

Abstract

AGU Chapman Conference on Dynamics of the Earth's Radiation Belts and Inner Magnetosphere; St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, 17–22 July 2011 Earth's radiation belts were discovered by James Van Allen and colleagues in 1958 using data from the Explorer I satellite. Since then, the Van Allen belts have been under extensive theoretical and experimental investigation. Because highly energetic (relativistic) electrons generated in the outer radiation zone during geomagnetically disturbed times can damage orbiting satellites, Earth's radiation belts are regarded as a serious space weather hazard. The emerging science of space weather has fueled a resurgence of interest in radiation belt physics in the past 10 years. This will culminate in 2012 with the launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) twin satellite mission, which will make in situ measurements of the radiation belts. Shortly after 2012 are also planned launches of the Japanese Energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG) satellite and the Russian mission RESONANCE, both designed to probe Earth's radiation belts. Thus, 2012–2013 promises to be an exciting and pivotal period in radiation belt science.