On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt

We performed a statistical study on the correlation between electromagnetic Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and the evolution of relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"...

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Main Authors: Christopher Lara, Victor A. Pinto, Javier Silva, Bea Zenteno-Quinteros, Pablo S. Moya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Universe
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/5/151
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author Christopher Lara
Victor A. Pinto
Javier Silva
Bea Zenteno-Quinteros
Pablo S. Moya
author_facet Christopher Lara
Victor A. Pinto
Javier Silva
Bea Zenteno-Quinteros
Pablo S. Moya
author_sort Christopher Lara
collection DOAJ
description We performed a statistical study on the correlation between electromagnetic Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and the evolution of relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>3.1</mn><mo><</mo><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup><mo><</mo><mn>6.0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> during 101 geomagnetic storms that occurred between January 2013 and November 2018. We used the Van Allen Probes MagEIS and REPT instruments to study electron fluxes from 0.47 MeV to 5.2 MeV, and we utilized magnetic field data from EMFISIS to calculate magnetic field fluctuations parallel and perpendicular to the background magnetic field direction and obtain the ULF integrated power between 1 mHz and 10 mHz. We analyzed the data during the following three different time intervals: the main phase, the recovery phase, and the entire storm. We computed the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and mutual information score between the ratio of fluxes before and after each given phase and the total integrated ULF power during the same time interval. Our results show a significant correlation between ULF wave power and changes in fluxes of hundreds of keV electrons during the main phase of the storms and for MeV electrons during the recovery phase of the storms. By studying fluxes at independent <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, the largest correlations correspond to changes in fluxes before and after the entire storm and ULF fluctuations parallel to the field, especially for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup><mo><</mo><mn>4.6</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. We evaluated the drift resonance frequency for azimuthal wavenumber <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>≤</mo><mi>m</mi><mo>≤</mo><mn>10</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and found that for all considered energies and frequencies, the drift resonance with Pc5 ULF waves may occur in our region of study, which is consistent with the statistical results.
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spelling doaj-art-cfdc01ee8a8f436dbbfa6908449e70422025-08-20T03:12:09ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972025-05-0111515110.3390/universe11050151On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation BeltChristopher Lara0Victor A. Pinto1Javier Silva2Bea Zenteno-Quinteros3Pablo S. Moya4Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8460000, ChileDepartamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, ChileDepartamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, ChileDepartamento de Fisica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170020, ChileDepartamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8460000, ChileWe performed a statistical study on the correlation between electromagnetic Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves and the evolution of relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>3.1</mn><mo><</mo><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup><mo><</mo><mn>6.0</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> during 101 geomagnetic storms that occurred between January 2013 and November 2018. We used the Van Allen Probes MagEIS and REPT instruments to study electron fluxes from 0.47 MeV to 5.2 MeV, and we utilized magnetic field data from EMFISIS to calculate magnetic field fluctuations parallel and perpendicular to the background magnetic field direction and obtain the ULF integrated power between 1 mHz and 10 mHz. We analyzed the data during the following three different time intervals: the main phase, the recovery phase, and the entire storm. We computed the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and mutual information score between the ratio of fluxes before and after each given phase and the total integrated ULF power during the same time interval. Our results show a significant correlation between ULF wave power and changes in fluxes of hundreds of keV electrons during the main phase of the storms and for MeV electrons during the recovery phase of the storms. By studying fluxes at independent <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, the largest correlations correspond to changes in fluxes before and after the entire storm and ULF fluctuations parallel to the field, especially for <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mi>L</mi><mo>∗</mo></msup><mo><</mo><mn>4.6</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. We evaluated the drift resonance frequency for azimuthal wavenumber <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>≤</mo><mi>m</mi><mo>≤</mo><mn>10</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and found that for all considered energies and frequencies, the drift resonance with Pc5 ULF waves may occur in our region of study, which is consistent with the statistical results.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/5/151ULF wavesgeomagnetic stormsrelativistic electronsVan Allen Probes
spellingShingle Christopher Lara
Victor A. Pinto
Javier Silva
Bea Zenteno-Quinteros
Pablo S. Moya
On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
Universe
ULF waves
geomagnetic storms
relativistic electrons
Van Allen Probes
title On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
title_full On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
title_fullStr On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
title_full_unstemmed On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
title_short On the Relationship Between ULF Wave Power and Changes of Relativistic Electron Fluxes in the Outer Radiation Belt
title_sort on the relationship between ulf wave power and changes of relativistic electron fluxes in the outer radiation belt
topic ULF waves
geomagnetic storms
relativistic electrons
Van Allen Probes
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/5/151
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