ULF Wave Driven Radial Diffusion During Geomagnetic Storms

Jasmine Sandhu - Northumbria University; Jonathan Rae - Northumbria University, United Kingdom; Clare Watt - Northumbria University, United Kingdom; Richard Horne - British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom; John Wygant - University of Minnesota, United States; Aaron Breneman - University of Minnesota, United States; Sheng Tian - University of Minnesota, United States; Loius Ozeke - University of Alberta, Canada; Marina Georgiou - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece; Maria-Theresia Walach - Lancaster University, United Kingdom

Earth's Magnetosphere and Radiation Belts

Abstract

Radiation belt modelling is crucial for understanding, modelling, and forecasting hazardous relativistic electron fluxes in the inner magnetosphere. However, these models often rely on statistical descriptions of wave processes. This includes ULF wave driven radial diffusion, which plays a key role in the energisation, loss, and transport of radiation belt electrons.

In this overview I will highlight how radial diffusion can be significantly misrepresented during storm times by existing empirical models and discuss how we can provide more realistic and accurate descriptions of storm time radial diffusion. The discussion will address how the following issues are critical factors in quantifying radial diffusion:

• The choice of ground-based vs in situ data sets
• Impacts of parameterisation by geomagnetic indices
• Capturing ULF wave power variability
• Understanding the role of inner magnetospheric structuring and internal wave power sources

I hope that the overview will enable discussions around how we can improve statistical models of radial diffusion for use in radiation belt models and operational forecasting.