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Session: Heliophysics and the Solar System

Name: Mr. Constantinos Papadimitriou (National & Kapodistrian Univ. of Athens)
Coauthors: Balasis Georgios (National Observatory of Athens)
Daglis Ioannis A. (Hellenic Space Center)
Wing Simon (Johns Hopkins University)
Type: Oral
Title: Information-theoretic measures for electron acceleration in the outer radiation belt
Abstract:

Uncovering the underlying mechanisms that drive the dynamics and evolution of the energetic particles that comprise the Earth’s radiation belts is one of the greatest challenges that the science of Space Physics faces. The complicated interplay between solar drivers and the response of the terrestrial magnetosphere creates a highly dynamic area, in which energetic particles are trapped and accelerated from very low, thermal energies to ultra-relativistic ones. Since the nature of many of these interactions is far from being a simple, linear one, traditional methods such as correlation studies are not ideally equipped to detect these kinds of relations. Fortunately, the field of Information Theory has produced a wide range of entropy-based causality measures and methodologies for their application, that aim exactly at uncovering causal links between various parameters, even when these are non-linear and complex in nature. In this work, we present such an approach, which by utilizing both electron flux data from the MagEIS instrument on board the RBSP (Radiation Belt Storm Probes) satellites, as well as solar wind parameters and magnetospheric indices attempts to shed some light on the acceleration processes of equatorial electrons, located near the peak of the outer radiation belt, as it examines the causal relations between electrons at low (~50 keV), middle (~500 keV) and high energies (>2 MeV), and the effect that those external and internal parameters have on these relations. We show significant information flow from low energy electrons into high energy ones as well as from some solar wind/geomagnetic field parameters. This work will form the basis for more thorough future research on the mechanisms underlying radiation belts dynamics.