ISTP: relativistic particle acceleration and global energy transport
Abstract
With the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) constellation of spacecraft, plus key measurements from other scientific and operational spacecraft, it is possible to study the flow of energy from the sun through the interplanetary medium into the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere of the Earth. We use Yohkoh soft x-ray images to identify large solar coronal holes. These solar regions give rise to high-speed solar wind streams which are detected and characterized by measurements from the WIND spacecraft. The high speed streams drive the Earth's magnetosphere quite substantially giving rise to strong relativistic electron acceleration throughout the outer radiation zone. The SAMPEX spacecraft in low Earth orbit and the MCP package onboard a high-inclination, elliptical-orbit satellite map the electron belts as they wax and wane under solar wind stream influence. New measurements from the CEPPAD investigation of the POLAR spacecraft are able to examine the spectral and angular distribution properties of accelerated magnetospheric electrons with unprecedented resolution. These data show that the Earth's magnetosphere is a strong accelerator of high energy electrons. Thus, the ISTP program may be able to contribute substantially to an important aspect of plasma astrophysics.
Department
Physics
Publication Date
12-31-1997
Journal Title
Advances in Space Research
Publisher
Elsevier
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/S0273-1177(97)00563-2
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Baker, D. N.; Spence, Harlan E.; and Blake, J. B., "ISTP: relativistic particle acceleration and global energy transport" (1997). Advances in Space Research. 262.
https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpub/262
Rights
Copyright © 1997, Elsevier