A Long-Lived Relativistic Electron Storage Ring Embedded in Earth’s Outer Van Allen Belt

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1233518
• Publication Date: 2013-03-01T16:48:03Z
• Authors: D. N. Baker; S. G. Kanekal; V. C. Hoxie; M. G. Henderson; X. Li; H. E. Spence; S. R. Elkington; R. H. W. Friedel; J. Goldstein; M. K. Hudson; G. D. Reeves; R. M. Thorne; C. A. Kletzing; S. G. Claudepierre
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; Physics; 0103 physical sciences; 7. Clean energy; 01 natural sciences

Since their discovery more than 50 years ago, Earth's Van Allen radiation belts have been considered to consist of two distinct zones trapped, highly energetic charged particles. The outer zone is composed predominantly megaelectron volt (MeV) electrons that wax and wane in intensity on time scales ranging from hours days, depending primarily external forcing by the solar wind. spatially separated inner commingled high-energy very positive ions (mostly protons), latter being stable levels over decades. In situ energy-specific temporally resolved spacecraft observations reveal an isolated third ring, or torus, (>2 MeV) formed 2 September 2012 persisted largely unchanged geocentric radial range 3.0 ~3.5 Earth radii for 4 weeks before disrupted (and virtually annihilated) a powerful interplanetary shock wave passage.