Speaker
Description
The physical mechanisms shaping the electron flux patterns in the inner boundary of the Earth’s outer radiation belt under the influence of different solar wind structures are well established in the literature. These processes are closely linked to the source and seed population injections, as well as wave-particle interactions that efficiently accelerate electrons crossing L-shells. The different solar cycle conditions also present a distinct variation in the outer radiation belt electron flux, particularly in the position of its inner boundary. This work investigates the physical processes driving the observed shifts in the inner boundary of the outer radiation belt during distinct solar cycle phases in 2015 and 2018. Special emphasis is placed on the roles of Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) and whistler-mode chorus waves in enhancing relativistic electron flux at different L-shells, as well as the dynamics of electron seed populations. Notably, the frequency and nature of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and High-Speed Solar Wind Streams (HSSs) differed considerably between these solar cycle phases, leading to variations in geomagnetic storm intensities. The location of the electron seed population injections in the inner magnetosphere is suggested as a key factor that physically influences the different positions of the outer belt’s inner boundary under different conditions of the solar cycles. Interestingly, the plasmapause position estimated using a 3D dynamic kinetic model shows a strong relationship with electron seed populations under these two solar cycle phases.
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