Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes

Abstract Enhanced radiation in the Earth's atmosphere can pose serious hazards to pilots, aircraft passengers, and commercial space travelers. Recent results have shown, statistically, that there is a strong correlation between dose rates observed by Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospa...

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Main Authors: Homayon Aryan, Jacob Bortnik, W. Kent Tobiska, Piyush Mehta, Rashmi Siddalingappa, Benjamin Hogan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-02-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004184
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author Homayon Aryan
Jacob Bortnik
W. Kent Tobiska
Piyush Mehta
Rashmi Siddalingappa
Benjamin Hogan
author_facet Homayon Aryan
Jacob Bortnik
W. Kent Tobiska
Piyush Mehta
Rashmi Siddalingappa
Benjamin Hogan
author_sort Homayon Aryan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Enhanced radiation in the Earth's atmosphere can pose serious hazards to pilots, aircraft passengers, and commercial space travelers. Recent results have shown, statistically, that there is a strong correlation between dose rates observed by Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) instruments at aviation altitudes (>9 km) and plasmaspheric hiss wave power measured by NASA's Van Allen Probes within the inner magnetosphere. Plasmaspheric hiss waves play a very important role in removing energetic electrons from the Earth's radiation belts by precipitating them into the upper atmosphere. These relativistic electrons generally drift eastwards along closed magnetic drift shells. In this study, we use magnetic conjunction events between ARMAS and the Van Allen Probes to analyze the causality between plasmaspheric hiss waves and enhanced radiation observed at aviation altitude. We specifically study how the size of the conjunction window and a shift in L and MLT of the conjunction window affect the correlation between dose rates and plasmaspheric hiss wave power. This is to determine if the observed enhanced radiation at aviation altitude is indeed caused by the plasmaspheric hiss waves in the inner magnetosphere. The results show that the enhanced radiation levels are only correlated with plasmaspheric hiss waves within conjunction windows of −1 ≤ L ≤ 1 and 0 ≤ MLT ≤ 2. The correlation between dose rate and hiss wave power increases slightly if ARMAS is shifted approximately 1 hr in MLT to the east of the Van Allen Probes, consistent with the drift trajectory of the electrons precipitating into the atmosphere.
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spelling doaj-art-198fb13c07cc4dae8dc2c023ecc380082025-08-20T02:03:43ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902025-02-01232n/an/a10.1029/2024SW004184Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation AltitudesHomayon Aryan0Jacob Bortnik1W. Kent Tobiska2Piyush Mehta3Rashmi Siddalingappa4Benjamin Hogan5University of California Los Angeles Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Los Angeles CA USAUniversity of California Los Angeles Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Los Angeles CA USASpace Weather Division Space Environment Technologies Pacific Palisades CA USAWest Virginia University Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Morgantown WV USAWest Virginia University Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Morgantown WV USASpace Weather Division Space Environment Technologies Pacific Palisades CA USAAbstract Enhanced radiation in the Earth's atmosphere can pose serious hazards to pilots, aircraft passengers, and commercial space travelers. Recent results have shown, statistically, that there is a strong correlation between dose rates observed by Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) instruments at aviation altitudes (>9 km) and plasmaspheric hiss wave power measured by NASA's Van Allen Probes within the inner magnetosphere. Plasmaspheric hiss waves play a very important role in removing energetic electrons from the Earth's radiation belts by precipitating them into the upper atmosphere. These relativistic electrons generally drift eastwards along closed magnetic drift shells. In this study, we use magnetic conjunction events between ARMAS and the Van Allen Probes to analyze the causality between plasmaspheric hiss waves and enhanced radiation observed at aviation altitude. We specifically study how the size of the conjunction window and a shift in L and MLT of the conjunction window affect the correlation between dose rates and plasmaspheric hiss wave power. This is to determine if the observed enhanced radiation at aviation altitude is indeed caused by the plasmaspheric hiss waves in the inner magnetosphere. The results show that the enhanced radiation levels are only correlated with plasmaspheric hiss waves within conjunction windows of −1 ≤ L ≤ 1 and 0 ≤ MLT ≤ 2. The correlation between dose rate and hiss wave power increases slightly if ARMAS is shifted approximately 1 hr in MLT to the east of the Van Allen Probes, consistent with the drift trajectory of the electrons precipitating into the atmosphere.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004184enhanced radiationplasmaspheric hiss wavesaviation altitudesVan Allen radiation beltdose ratesspace hazards
spellingShingle Homayon Aryan
Jacob Bortnik
W. Kent Tobiska
Piyush Mehta
Rashmi Siddalingappa
Benjamin Hogan
Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
Space Weather
enhanced radiation
plasmaspheric hiss waves
aviation altitudes
Van Allen radiation belt
dose rates
space hazards
title Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
title_full Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
title_fullStr Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
title_full_unstemmed Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
title_short Cross Correlation Between Plasmaspheric Hiss Waves and Enhanced Radiation Levels at Aviation Altitudes
title_sort cross correlation between plasmaspheric hiss waves and enhanced radiation levels at aviation altitudes
topic enhanced radiation
plasmaspheric hiss waves
aviation altitudes
Van Allen radiation belt
dose rates
space hazards
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW004184
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