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Hua M, Li W, Ni B, Ma Q, Green A, Shen X, Claudepierre SG, Bortnik J, Gu X, Fu S, Xiang Z, Reeves GD. Very-Low-Frequency transmitters bifurcate energetic electron belt in near-earth space. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4847. [PMID: 32973130 PMCID: PMC7518438 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18545-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Very-Low-Frequency (VLF) transmitters operate worldwide mostly at frequencies of 10-30 kilohertz for submarine communications. While it has been of intense scientific interest and practical importance to understand whether VLF transmitters can affect the natural environment of charged energetic particles, for decades there remained little direct observational evidence that revealed the effects of these VLF transmitters in geospace. Here we report a radially bifurcated electron belt formation at energies of tens of kiloelectron volts (keV) at altitudes of ~0.8-1.5 Earth radii on timescales over 10 days. Using Fokker-Planck diffusion simulations, we provide quantitative evidence that VLF transmitter emissions that leak from the Earth-ionosphere waveguide are primarily responsible for bifurcating the energetic electron belt, which typically exhibits a single-peak radial structure in near-Earth space. Since energetic electrons pose a potential danger to satellite operations, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of mitigation of natural particle radiation environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Hua
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wen Li
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Binbin Ni
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Anhui, Hefei, China.
| | - Qianli Ma
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alex Green
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaochen Shen
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seth G Claudepierre
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Space Sciences Department, The Aerospace Corporation, EI Segundo, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Bortnik
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xudong Gu
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Song Fu
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zheng Xiang
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Geoffrey D Reeves
- Space Science and Applications Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Space Sciences Division, New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, USA
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Inan US, Chang HC, Helliwell RA, Imhof WL, Reagan JB, Walt M. Precipitation of radiation belt electrons by man-made waves: A comparison between theory and measurement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/ja090ia01p00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Parrot M, Inan US, Lehtinen NG, Pinçon JL. Penetration of lightning MF signals to the upper ionosphere over VLF ground-based transmitters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2009ja014598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - U. S. Inan
- Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory; Stanford University; Stanford California USA
- Koç University; Istanbul Turkey
| | - N. G. Lehtinen
- Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory; Stanford University; Stanford California USA
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6
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Starks MJ, Quinn RA, Ginet GP, Albert JM, Sales GS, Reinisch BW, Song P. Illumination of the plasmasphere by terrestrial very low frequency transmitters: Model validation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008ja013112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Starks
- Space Vehicles Directorate; Air Force Research Laboratory; Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts USA
| | - R. A. Quinn
- Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.; Lexington Massachusetts USA
| | - G. P. Ginet
- Space Vehicles Directorate; Air Force Research Laboratory; Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts USA
| | - J. M. Albert
- Space Vehicles Directorate; Air Force Research Laboratory; Hanscom Air Force Base Massachusetts USA
| | - G. S. Sales
- Center for Atmospheric Research; University of Massachusetts; Lowell Massachusetts USA
| | - B. W. Reinisch
- Center for Atmospheric Research; University of Massachusetts; Lowell Massachusetts USA
| | - P. Song
- Center for Atmospheric Research; University of Massachusetts; Lowell Massachusetts USA
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