Particle Energization During Magnetic Storms with Steady Magnetospheric Convection

Relativistic electrons pose a space weather hazard to satellites in the radiation belts. Although about half of all geomagnetic storms result in relativistic electron flux enhancements, other storms decrease relativistic electron flux, even under similar solar wind drivers. Radiation belt fluxes depend on a complex balance between transport, loss, and acceleration. A critically important aspect of radiation belt enhancements is the role of the 'seed' population--plasma sheet particles heated and transported Earthward by magnetotail processes--which can become accelerated by wave-particle interactions with chorus waves. While the effect of substorms on seed electron injections has received considerable focus, in this study we explore how quasi-steady convection during steady magnetospheric convection (SMC) events affects the transport and energization of electrons. SMC events are long-duration intervals of enhanced convection without any substorm expansions, and are an important mechanism in coupling magnetotail plasma populations to the inner magnetosphere. We detail the behavior of the seed electron population for stormtime SMC events using the Van Allen Probes in the outer radiation belt and THEMIS in the plasma sheet and inner magnetosphere. Together, the two missions provide the ability to track particle transport and energization from the plasma sheet into the radiation belts. We present SMC events with Van Allen Probes/THEMIS conjunctions and compare plasma sheet fast flows/enhanced transport to radiation belt seed electron enhancements. Finally we utilize statistical analyses to quantify the relative importance of SMC events on radiation belt electron acceleration in comparison to isolated substorms.