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Claudepierre SG, Blake JB, Boyd AJ, Clemmons JH, Fennell JF, Gabrielse C, Looper MD, Mazur JE, O’Brien TP, Reeves GD, Roeder JL, Spence HE, Turner DL. The Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer: A Review of On-Orbit Sensor Performance, Data, Operations, and Science. Space Sci Rev 2021; 217:80. [PMID: 34744192 PMCID: PMC8553741 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-021-00855-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Measurements from NASA's Van Allen Probes have transformed our understanding of the dynamics of Earth's geomagnetically-trapped, charged particle radiation. The Van Allen Probes were equipped with the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometers (MagEIS) that measured energetic and relativistic electrons, along with energetic ions, in the radiation belts. Accurate and routine measurement of these particles was of fundamental importance towards achieving the scientific goals of the mission. We provide a comprehensive review of the MagEIS suite's on-orbit performance, operation, and data products, along with a summary of scientific results. The purpose of this review is to serve as a complement to the MagEIS instrument paper, which was largely completed before flight and thus focused on pre-flight design and performance characteristics. As is the case with all space-borne instrumentation, the anticipated sensor performance was found to be different once on orbit. Our intention is to provide sufficient detail on the MagEIS instruments so that future generations of researchers can understand the subtleties of the sensors, profit from these unique measurements, and continue to unlock the mysteries of the near-Earth space radiation environment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11214-021-00855-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. G. Claudepierre
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - J. B. Blake
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - A. J. Boyd
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - J. H. Clemmons
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH USA
| | - J. F. Fennell
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - C. Gabrielse
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - M. D. Looper
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - J. E. Mazur
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - T. P. O’Brien
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - G. D. Reeves
- Space and Atmospheric Sciences Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM USA
| | - J. L. Roeder
- Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA USA
| | - H. E. Spence
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH USA
| | - D. L. Turner
- Space Exploration Sector, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
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Ghaffari R, Cully CM, Gabrielse C. Statistical Study of Whistler-Mode Waves and Expected Pitch Angle Diffusion Rates During Dispersionless Electron Injections. Geophys Res Lett 2021; 48:e2021GL094085. [PMID: 35864943 PMCID: PMC9286036 DOI: 10.1029/2021gl094085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Energetic electron injections can generate or amplify electromagnetic waves such as whistler-mode waves. These waves can resonantly interact with available particles to affect their equatorial pitch angle. This process can be considered as a diffusion that scatters particles into the loss cone. This study investigates whistler-mode wave generation in conjunction with electron injections using in situ wave measurements by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission during 2011-2020. We characterize the whistler-mode wave behavior associated with 733 selected dispersionless electron injections and dipolarizing flux bundles (DFBs). We observe intense wave activity and strong diffusion associated with only the top 5% and 10% of the selected injection events, respectively. We also study the wave activity when there is a sharp rise in the northward component of the magnetic field around the injection time (DFBs). In this case, the generated wave powers increase, and the power change is at least two times greater than non-DFB injections.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Ghaffari
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryALCanada
| | - C. M. Cully
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryALCanada
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Nishimura Y, Lyons LR, Gabrielse C, Weygand JM, Donovan EF, Angelopoulos V. Relative contributions of large-scale and wedgelet currents in the substorm current wedge. Earth Planets Space 2020; 72:106. [PMID: 32728343 PMCID: PMC7373217 DOI: 10.1186/s40623-020-01234-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We examined how much large-scale and localized upward and downward currents contribute to the substorm current wedge (SCW), and how they evolve over time, using the THEMIS all-sky imagers (ASIs) and ground magnetometers. One type of events is dominated by a single large-scale wedge, with upward currents over the surge and broad downward currents poleward-eastward of the surge. The other type of events is a composite of large-scale wedge and wedgelets associated with streamers, with each wedgelet having comparable intensity to the large-scale wedge currents. Among 17 auroral substorms with wide ASI coverage, the composite current type is more frequent than the single large-scale wedge type. The dawn-dusk size of each wedgelet is ~ 600 km in the ionosphere (~ 3.2 R E in the magnetotail, comparable to the flow channel size). We suggest that substorms have more than one type of SCW, and the composite current type is more frequent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Nishimura
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - L. R. Lyons
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | | | - J. M. Weygand
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - E. F. Donovan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - V. Angelopoulos
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
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