This book is an introductory textbook on the physical processes occurring in the Earth's radiation belts. The presentation is at the advanced undergraduate or first year graduate level, and it is appropriate for students who intend to work in some aspect of magnetospheric physics. The treatment is quantitative and provides the mathematical basis for original work in this subject. The equations describing the motion of energetic ions and electrons in the geomagnetic field are derived from basic principles, and concepts such as magnetic field representations, guiding centre motion, adiabatic invariance, and particle distribution functions are presented in a detailed and accessible manner. Relevant experimental techniques are reviewed and a summary is given of the intensity and energy spectra of the particle populations in the Earth's radiation belts. Problem sets are included as well as appendices of tables, graphs and frequently used formulas.

An introductory textbook aimed at first year graduate students specialising in magnetospheric physics.

This book is a new edition of Roederer’s classic Dynamics of Geomagnetically Trapped Radiation, updated and considerably expanded. The main objective is to describe the dynamic properties of magnetically trapped particles in planetary radiation belts and plasmas and explain the physical processes involved from the theoretical point of view. The approach is to examine in detail the orbital and adiabatic motion of individual particles in typical configurations of magnetic and electric fields in the magnetosphere and, from there, derive basic features of the particles’ collective “macroscopic” behavior in general planetary environments. Emphasis is not on the “what” but on the “why” of particle phenomena in near-earth space, providing a solid and clear understanding of the principal basic physical mechanisms and dynamic processes involved. The book will also serve as an introduction to general space plasma physics, with abundant basic examples to illustrate and explain the physical origin of different types of plasma current systems and their self-organizing character via the magnetic field. The ultimate aim is to help both graduate students and interested scientists to successfully face the theoretical and experimental challenges lying ahead in space physics in view of recent and upcoming satellite missions and an expected wealth of data on radiation belts and plasmas.

"Since the discovery of geomagnetically trapped radiation by Van Allen in 1958, an impressive amount of experimental information on the earth's particle and field environment has nourished research work for scores of scientists and thesis work for their students. This quest has challenged space-age technology to produce better and more sophisticated instruments and has challenged the international scientific community and governments to establish more, and more effective, cooperative programs of research and information exchange. As a result, an orderly picture of the principal physical mechanisms governing the earth's radiation environment is beginning to emerge. The interest in this topic has reached far beyond the domain of geophysics. Indeed, we find trapped radiation elsewhere in the universe: Jupiter's radiation belts, particle trapping in sunspot magnetic fields, cosmic rays confined in interstellar fields and, possibly, ultra-high-energy particles trapped in the magnetic fields of rotating neutron stars. There is abundant technical and scientific literature available on Van Allen radiation; comprehensive reviews are published regularly in journals* or have been collected in book form**, and books have been written on the subject***. The aim of this monograph is to complement the existing literature with a concise discussion of the basic dynamical processes that control the earth's radiation belts. It is mainly intended to help a graduate student or a researcher new to this field to understand the underlying physics and to provide him with guidelines for quantitaƯtive, numerical applications of the theory."--Publisher's website.

The advent of artificial earth satellites in 1957-58 opened a new dimension in the field of geophysical exploration. Discovery of the earth's radiation belts, consisting of energetic electrons and ions (chiefly protons) trapped by the geomagnetic field, followed almost immediately [1,2]' This largely unexpected development spurred a continuing interest in magnetospheric exploration, which so far has led to the launching of several hundred carefully instrumented spacecraft. Since their discovery, the radiation belts have been a subject of intensive theoretical analysis also. Over the years, a semiquantitative understanding of the governing dynamical processes has gradually evol ved. The underlying kinematical framework of radiation-belt theory is given by the adiabatic theory of charged-particle motion [3J, and the interesting dynamical phenomena are associated with the violation of one or more of the kinematical invariants of adiabatic motion. Among the most important of the operative dynamical processes are those that act in a stochastic manner upon the radiation-belt particles. Such stochastic processes lead to the diffusion of particle distributions with respect to the adiabatic invariants. The observational data indicate that some form of particle diffusion plays an essential role in virtually every aspect of the radiation belts.

This textbook describes Earth's plasma environment from single particle motion in electromagnetic fields, with applications to Earth's magnetosphere, up to plasma wave generation and wave-particle interaction. The origin and effects of collisions and conductivities are discussed in detail, as is the formation of the ionosphere, the origin of magnetospheric convection and magnetospheric dynamics in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, the evolution of magnetospheric storms, auroral substorms, and auroral phenomena of various kinds.The second half of the book presents the theoretical foundation of space plasma physics, from kinetic theory of plasma through the formation of moment equations and derivation of magnetohydrodynamic theory of plasmas. The validity of this theory is elucidated, and two-fluid theory is presented in more detail. This is followed by a brief analysis of fluid boundaries, with Earth's magnetopause and bow shock as examples. The main emphasis is on the presentation of fluid and kinetic wave theory, deriving the relevant wave modes in a high temperature space plasma. Plasma instability is the most important topic in all applications and is discussed separately, including a section on thermal fluctuations. These theories are applied to the most interesting problems in space plasma physics, collisionless reconnection and collisionless shock waves with references provided. The Appendix includes the most recent developments in the theory of statistical particle distributions in space plasma, the Kappa distribution, etc, also including a section on space plasma turbulence and emphasizing on new observational developments with a dimensional derivation of the Kolmogorov spectrum, which might be instructive for the student who may worry about its origin.The book ends with a section on space climatology, space meteorology and space weather, a new application field in space plasma physics that is of vital interest when considering the possible hazards to civilization from space.

Spacecraft depend on electronic components that must perform reliably over missions measured in years and decades. Space radiation is a primary source of degradation, reliability issues, and potentially failure for these electronic components. Although simulation and modeling are valuable for understanding the radiation risk to microelectronics, there is no substitute for testing, and an increased use of commercial-off-the- shelf parts in spacecraft may actually increase requirements for testing, as opposed to simulation and modeling. Testing at the Speed of Light evaluates the nation's current capabilities and future needs for testing the effects of space radiation on microelectronics to ensure mission success and makes recommendations on how to provide effective stewardship of the necessary radiation test infrastructure for the foreseeable future.

Documents the science, the mission, the spacecraft and the instrumentation on a unique NASA mission to study the Earth’s dynamic, dangerous and fascinating Van Allen radiation belts that surround the planet This collection of articles provides broad and detailed information about NASA’s Van Allen Probes (formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes) twin-spacecraft Earth-orbiting mission. The mission has the objective of achieving predictive understanding of the dynamic, intense, energetic, dangerous, and presently unpredictable belts of energetic particles that are magnetically trapped in Earth’s space environment above the atmosphere. It documents the science of the radiation belts and the societal benefits of achieving predictive understanding. Detailed information is provided about the Van Allen Probes mission design, the spacecraft, the science investigations, and the onboard instrumentation that must all work together to make unprecedented measurements within a most unforgiving environment, the core of Earth’s most intense radiation regions. This volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers active in space science, solar-terrestrial interactions and studies of the upper atmosphere. Originally published in Space Science Reviews, Vol. 179/1-4, 2013.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to the active sun as a source of disturbance that affect the magnetic field measured at the earth's surface. Included under this topic are the general sun's properties, solar surface activity centers and characteristics of the solar field and ejecta flowing into interplanetary space.

Ring Current Investigations offers a comprehensive description of ring current dynamics in the Earth's magnetosphere as part of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system. In order to help researchers develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental physics of geomagnetic storms, it includes a detailed description of energetic charged particles injection, trapping, and loss. It reviews historical and recent advances in observations, measurements, theory and simulations of the inner magnetosphere and its coupling to the ionosphere and other surrounding plasma populations. In addition, it compares the physics of ring currents at other strongly magnetized planets in the solar system, specifically Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, with the ring current system at Earth. Providing a description of the most important space weather effects driven by inner magnetospheric energetic particles during geomagnetic storms and present capabilities for their nowcast and forecast, Ring Current Investigations is an important reference for researchers in geophysics and space science, especially related to plasma physics, the ionosphere and magnetosphere, solar-terrestrial relations, and spacecraft anomalies. - Includes an appendix with links to downloadable video clips, illustrating features of ring current and geomagnetic storm dynamics - Provides overview of existing state-of-the-art numerical models and links for open-source code downloads - Offers guidance on how to develop numerical models within the context of the present-day understanding