Radiation Belt Electron Acceleration Inside the Plasmasphere

Abstract

We report a new population of outer belt electron acceleration events ranging from hundreds of keV to ∼1.5 MeV that occurred inside the plasmasphere, which we named “Inside Events” (IEs). Based on 6 year observations from Van Allen Probes, we compare the statistical distributions of IEs with electron acceleration events outside the plasmasphere (OEs). We find that most IEs were observed at L < 4.0 at energies below ∼1.5 MeV, with weaker acceleration ratio (<10) and larger event numbers (peaking value reaching >200), compared to stronger but less frequently occurred (peaking event numbers only reaching ∼80) OEs that were mostly observed at L > 4.0. The evolution of electron phase space density of a typical IE shows signature of inward radial diffusion or transport. Our study provides a feasible mechanism for IE, which is the results of the inward radial transport of the electron acceleration in the outer region of outer belt.