Estimating magnetic field power spectrum using CRRES magnetometer data
Abstract
Radial diffusion is one of the acceleration mechanisms responsible for populating and depleting the Van Allen radiation belts with high energy charged particles. We use the magnetometer data from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) to estimate the power spectral density in the compressional component of the geomagnetic field in the frequency range of 0.8mHz-16.3mHz. We see a clear dependence of power spectral density on radial distance L, measure of geomagnetic disturbance Kp, and magnetic local time. Comparing total integrated power, the noon sector contains more power with no significant difference between other sectors during periods of low activity. During high activity the dusk sector has significantly more power than dawn sector with the difference sometimes being an order of magnitude higher with power increasing slightly as we move radially outward to higher L-shells. We then recompute the power spectral density without local time dependence and compute the electromagnetic part of the radial diffusion coefficient. The electromagnetic diffusion coefficients are then compared with the electrostatic coefficients computed by Brautigam et al. (2005). The dependence of the diffusion coefficients is then studied on parameters of L, Kp, and the first invariant. For a fixed first invariant the diffusion coefficient can be up to two orders of magnitude higher as we move from the inner magnetosphere (L=3.5) to the outer magnetosphere (L=6.5). During high activity, radial diffusion is also significantly faster than at quiet times.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUSMSM21B..02A
- Keywords:
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- 2774 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS / Radiation belts