Denton, Richard E.

Funsten, Herbert O.

Jahn, Joerg-Micha

Reeves, Geoff

Spence, Harlan E.

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryPhysics Scholarship Physics4-1-2013New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere PlasmaRegimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)Joerg-Micha JahnRichard E. DentonHerbert O. FunstenLos Alamos National LaboratoryGeoff ReevesHarlan E. SpenceUniversity of New Hampshire, harlan.spence@unh.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpubPart of the Physics CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Physics at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted forinclusion in Physics Scholarship by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, pleasecontact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationJahn, Joerg-Micha; Denton, Richard E.; Funsten, Herbert O.; Reeves, Geoff; and Spence, Harlan E., "New Insight into the InnerMagnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)" (2013). Geophysical Research Abstracts. 161.https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpub/161Geophysical Research AbstractsVol. 15, EGU2013-13356, 2013EGU General Assembly 2013© Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License.New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the vanAllen Probes (RBSP)Joerg-Micha Jahn (1), Richard E Denton (2), Herbert O Funsten (3), Geoff Reeves (3), and Harlan E Spence (4)(1) Southwest Research Institute, Space Science Department, San Antonio, TX, United States (jjahn@swri.edu, +1- 210-520-9935), (2) Dartmouth College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hanover, NH, United States, (3) ISR Division, LosAlamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States, (4) Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space,University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, United StatesThe recent successful launch of the twin van Allen spacecraft (formerly known as RBSP) provides a new andunprecedented window into the structure and dynamics of inner magnetospheric plasma content and dynamics.The equatorially orbiting van Allen spacecraft are returning clean high resolution, very low background ion com-position and electron plasma data throughout the radiation belt and ring current region inside geosynchronousorbit. Since both van Allen spacecraft are positioned in near-identical chase orbits, lapping each other continu-ously throughout the mission, we are able to study both spatial and temporal variability in the inner magnetospherewith unprecedented resolution on a range of time and length scales. In this paper we are presenting initial resultsfrom plasma composition measurements in the nightside of Earth’s magnetosphere, focussing on plasma fractionalplasma composition of H+, He+, and O+ in the plasmasphere through lower ring current energies (< 50 keV).Early results do not only indicate a remarkable spatial and temporal variability in plasma ion composition in theinner magnetosphere, they also show frequent occurrences of multiple peak energy distributions in this energyrange. Multi-peaked energy distributions with several peaks occurring in ring current, plasmasphere and (less of-ten) plasma sheet are frequently observed, with distinct differences between the three ion species. Energy spectrawith 5-6 peaks for a single species have been observed repeatedly.

New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Physics Scholarship Physics
4-1-2013
New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere Plasma
Regimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)
Joerg-Micha Jahn
Richard E. Denton
Herbert O. Funsten
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Geoff Reeves
Harlan E. Spence
University of New Hampshire, harlan.spence@unh.edu
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpub
Part of the Physics Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Physics at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Physics Scholarship by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please
contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Jahn, Joerg-Micha; Denton, Richard E.; Funsten, Herbert O.; Reeves, Geoff; and Spence, Harlan E., "New Insight into the Inner
Magnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)" (2013). Geophysical Research Abstracts. 161.
https://scholars.unh.edu/physics_facpub/161
Geophysical Research Abstracts
Vol. 15, EGU2013-13356, 2013
EGU General Assembly 2013
© Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License.
New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the van
Allen Probes (RBSP)
Joerg-Micha Jahn (1), Richard E Denton (2), Herbert O Funsten (3), Geoff Reeves (3), and Harlan E Spence (4)
(1) Southwest Research Institute, Space Science Department, San Antonio, TX, United States (jjahn@swri.edu, +1- 210-
520-9935), (2) Dartmouth College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hanover, NH, United States, (3) ISR Division, Los
Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States, (4) Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space,
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, United States
The recent successful launch of the twin van Allen spacecraft (formerly known as RBSP) provides a new and
unprecedented window into the structure and dynamics of inner magnetospheric plasma content and dynamics.
The equatorially orbiting van Allen spacecraft are returning clean high resolution, very low background ion com-
position and electron plasma data throughout the radiation belt and ring current region inside geosynchronous
orbit. Since both van Allen spacecraft are positioned in near-identical chase orbits, lapping each other continu-
ously throughout the mission, we are able to study both spatial and temporal variability in the inner magnetosphere
with unprecedented resolution on a range of time and length scales. In this paper we are presenting initial results
from plasma composition measurements in the nightside of Earth’s magnetosphere, focussing on plasma fractional
plasma composition of H+, He+, and O+ in the plasmasphere through lower ring current energies (< 50 keV).
Early results do not only indicate a remarkable spatial and temporal variability in plasma ion composition in the
inner magnetosphere, they also show frequent occurrences of multiple peak energy distributions in this energy
range. Multi-peaked energy distributions with several peaks occurring in ring current, plasmasphere and (less of-
ten) plasma sheet are frequently observed, with distinct differences between the three ion species. Energy spectra
with 5-6 peaks for a single species have been observed repeatedly.


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New Insight into the Inner Magnetosphere Plasma Regimes with the van Allen Probes (RBSP)

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