Observation of Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes in the RELEC space experiment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite

The RELEС scientific payload of the Vernov satellite launched on July 8, 2014 includes the DRGE spectrometer of gamma-rays and electrons. This instrument comprises a set of scintillator phoswich-detectors, including four identical X-ray and gamma-ray detector with an energy range of 10 kev to 3 MeV with a total area of ~500 cm² directed to the atmosphere, as well as an electron spectrometer containing three mutually orthogonal detector units with a geometric factor of ~2 cm² sr. The aim of a space experiment with the DRGE instrument is the study of fast phenomena, in particular Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGF) and magnetospheric electron precipitation. In this regard, the instrument provides the transmission of both monitoring data with a time resolution of 1 s, and data in the event-by-event mode, with a recording of the time of detection of each gamma quantum or electron to an accuracy of ~15 μs. This makes it possible to not only conduct a detailed analysis of the variability in the gamma-ray range, but also compare the time profiles with the results of measurements with other RELEC instruments (the detector of optical and ultraviolet flares, radio-frequency and low-frequency analyzers of electromagnetic field parameters), as well as with the data of ground-based facility for thunderstorm activity. This paper presents the first catalog of Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. The criterion for selecting flashes required in order to detect no less than 5 hard quanta in 1 ms by at least two independent detectors. The TGFs included in the catalog have a typical duration of ~400 μs, during which 10–40 gamma-ray quanta were detected. The time profiles, spectral parameters, and geographic position, as well as a result of a comparison with the output data of other Vernov instruments, are presented for each of candidates. The candidate for Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes detected in the near-polar region over Antarctica is discussed.     

Dynamics of electron fluxes in the slot between radiation belts in November–December 2014 according to data of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite

The variations in the spatial structure and time in electron fluxes with E = 235–300 keV in the slot region (2 < L < 3) between the radiation belts in the period of November 1, 2014 through December 8, 2014 during weak and moderate geomagnetic disturbances (Kp < 4, Dst >–60 nT) are analyzed based on the data of the RELEC complex on board the Vernov satellite (the height and inclination of the orbit are from 640 to 830 km and 98.4°, respectively). Irregular increases in the fluxes of such electrons and formation of a local maximum at L ~ 2.2–3.0 were observed. It has been shown that the intensity of this maximum is inversely proportional to the L value and grows with an increase in the geomagnetic activity level. New features discovered for the first time in the dynamics of radiation belt electrons manifest in the variations in the local structure and dynamics of fluxes of subrelativistic electrons in the slot region.     

Characteristics of thermal ion outflows in the polar cap according to data of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Interball-2</Emphasis> satellite

Characteristics of polar wind fluxes at a height of ∼20000 km measured by the Hyperboloid mass-spectrometer installed onboard the Interball-2 satellite are presented in the paper. The characteristics are presented for the upwelling flows of ionospheric ions H⁺, He⁺, and O⁺ from the sunlit polar cap in the period of solar activity minimum. Orbit segments with minimal precipitation of magnetospheric ions and electrons were preliminarily selected, and the measurements where the fluxes of ions coming from the cusp/cleft were excluded as carefully as possible. Thus, the densities, field-aligned velocities, and temperatures of ions in the regions where fluxes of polar wind could be detected with the maximal probability degree are presented in the paper. It is found that cases when only H⁺ ions are reaching the detector are with high probability the polar wind outflows. Their characteristics agree well with the Tube-7 hydrodynamic model and are as follows: n ≈ 1.5 cm⁻³, V _∥ ∼ 21 km/s; T _∥ = 3500 K, and T _⊥ = 2000 K. In cases when He⁺ and O⁺ ions are also detected, the temperatures are substantially higher than the model ones, and the measured field-aligned velocities of O⁺ fluxes are several times higher than the model ones. Moreover, it was revealed that the polar wind outflows are predominantly observed in the polar cap regions where the polar rain fluxes are very small.     

The analysis of measurements of quasi-stationary electrical fields in the near-surface zone of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mir</Emphasis> orbital complex

The quasi-stationary electrical fields have been measured in the near-surface zone of the Kvant module of the Mir orbital complex using vibration-type sensors of the Zond-Zaryad instrument. The analysis of measurements has shown that, depending on the spacecraft’s surface section shape (an octagon), four areas of the electrical fields configuration (and of the plasma component density) were revealed in the spacecraft vicinity: a ram with angular extension of about 120° (±60°), two side areas with angular extension of about 60° each, and a wake with angular extension of about 120° (±60°). The electrical field in the ram has a small absolute value. In the side areas, the electrical field can have either a negative or positive value, and it is smaller in magnitude than that in the ram. The electrical field in the wake has a three-petal structure (and an even more complicated structure is also possible): the negative value of the field (with angular extension of about 45°), the positive value of the field (with angular extension of about 30°), and, again, the negative value of the field (with angular extension of about 45°). Absolute value of the field in the wake is at least an order of magnitude higher than that in the ram and on the side surfaces.     

Electron flux variations at altitudes of 600–800 km in the second half of 2014. preliminary results of an experiment using RELEC equipment onboard the satellite <Emphasis Type="Italic">VERNOV</Emphasis>

The results of measurements of fluxes and spectra carried out using the RELEC (relativistic electrons) equipment onboard the VERNOV satellite in the second half of 2014 are presented. The VERNOV satellite was launched on July 8, 2014 in a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude from 640 to 830 km and an inclination of 98.4°. Scientific information from the satellite was first received on July 20, 2014. The comparative analysis of electron fluxes using data from RELEC and using experimental data on the electron detection by satellites Elektro-L (positioned at a geostationary orbit) and Meteor-M no. 2 (positioned at a circular polar orbit at an altitude of about 800 km as the VERNOV satellite) will make it possible to study the spatial distribution pattern of energetic electrons in near-Earth space in more detail.     

Fluxes of Quasi-trapped Electrons with Energies >0.08 MeV in the Near-Earth Space on Drift Shells <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis> < 2

We study the characteristics of fluxes of electrons with energy >80 keV in the near-Earth space regions corresponding to the drift shells L = 1.7, 1.4, and 1.1 observed during the entire period of the GRIF experiment onboard the Spectr module of the Mir orbital station from October 1995 to June 1997. The obtained geographic maps of the distribution of electron fluxes at the height of the station flight (400 km) and, also, the estimates of the spectra indicate that the South-Atlantic Anomaly provides for a mechanism of stable replenishment for shells with L < 1.5. The mechanism of stable replenishment of shells with L < 1.5 may be due to the scattering, in the residual atmosphere, of electrons from the inner radiation belt precipitating into the region of the South-Atlantic Anomaly.     

Excitation of Pc5 pulsations of the geomagnetic field and riometric absorption

We consider in detail the intense Pc5 pulsations of the magnetic field, riometric absorption, and electron fluxes occurred on the recovery phase of the strong magnetic storm on November 21, 2003. The global structure of these disturbances is studied using the world network of magnetometers and riometers supplemented by the data of particle detectors onboard the LANL geosynchronous satellites. The local spatial structure is investigated according to data of the regional network of Finnish vertical riometers and of stations of the IMAGE magnetic network. Though a certain similarity is observed in the frequency composition and time evolution of the variations of magnetic field and riometric absorption, the local spatial structure of these oscillations turns out to be different. It is suggested that these variations can be manifestations of oscillatory properties of two weakly connected systems: the magnetospheric MHD waveguide/resonator and the system cyclotron noise + electrons. The recorded Pc5 oscillations are, presumably, a result of excitation of the magnetospheric waveguide on the morning and evening flanks of the magnetosphere. At high velocities of the solar wind this waveguide can appear in a metastable state. Not only jumps in the solar wind density, but injection of electrons into the magnetosphere as well, can serve as a trigger for the waveguide excitation.     

Studies of the substorm on March 12, 1991: 1. Structure of substorm activity and auroral ions

The substorm on March 12, 1991 is studied using the data of ground-based network of magnetometers, all-sky cameras and TV recordings of aurora, and measurements of particle fluxes and magnetic field onboard a satellite in the equatorial plane. The structure of substorm activity and the dynamics of auroral ions of the central plasma sheet (CPS) and energetic quasi-trapped ions related to the substorm are considered in the first part. It is shown that several sharp changes in the fluxes and pitch-angle distribution of the ions which form the substorm ion injection precede a dipolarization of the magnetic field and increases of energetic electrons, and coincide with the activation of aurora registered 20° eastward from the satellite. A conclusion is drawn about different mechanisms of the substorm acceleration (injection) of electrons and ions.     

Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon

Chandrayaan-1 is the first Indian planetary exploration mission that will perform remote sensing observation of the Moon to further our understanding about its origin and evolution. Hyper-spectral studies in the 0.4– region using three different imaging spectrometers, coupled with a low energy X-ray spectrometer, a sub-keV atom analyzer, a 3D terrain mapping camera and a laser ranging instrument will provide data on mineralogical and chemical composition and topography of the lunar surface at high spatial resolution. A low energy gamma ray spectrometer and a miniature imaging radar will investigate volatile transport on lunar surface and possible presence of water ice in the polar region. A radiation dose monitor will provide an estimation of energetic particle flux en route to the Moon as well as in lunar orbit. An impact probe carrying a mass spectrometer will also be a part of the spacecraft. The 1 ton class spacecraft will be launched by using a variant of flight proven indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL). The spacecraft will be finally placed in a 100 km circular polar orbit around the Moon with a planned mission life of two years.     

Results of measurements with the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer onboard Mars Express: Clouds and dust at the end of southern summer. A comparison with OMEGA images

We discuss the results of measurements made with the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard the Mars Express spacecraft. The data were obtained in the beginning of the mission and correspond to the end of summer in the southern hemisphere of Mars (L _s ～ 340°). Three orbits are considered, two of which passed through volcanoes Olympus and Ascraeus Mons (the height above the surface is about +20 km), while the third orbit intersects lowland Hellas (?7 km). The influence of the relief on the properties of the aerosol observed is demonstrated: clouds of water ice with a visual optical thickness of 0.1–0.5 were observed above volcanoes, while only dust was found during the observations (close in time) along the orbit passing through Hellas in low and middle latitudes. This dust is homogeneously mixed with gas and has a reduced optical thickness of 0.25±0.05 (at v = 1100 cm^?1). In addition to orographic clouds, ice clouds were observed in this season in the northern polar region. The clouds seen in the images obtained simultaneously by the mapping spectrometer OMEGA confirm the PFS results. Temperature inversion is discovered in the north polar hood below the level 1 mbar with a temperature maximum at about 0.6 mbar. This inversion is associated with descending movements in the Hadley cell.     

航天器典型悬浮导体结构深层放电 现象的模拟试验研究

空间辐射环境中,由高能电子所引起的深层充放电现象是威胁航天器安全的重要因素之一。文章采用90Sr放射源模拟GEO电子环境,试验观测了电子辐照下几种含有悬浮导体的典型卫星模拟部件结构的深层充放电现象,比较了真空度、束流密度与温度对放电现象的影响。试验结果表明,深层放电现象的产生与部件结构密切相关,在一定环境条件下含有悬浮导体的结构即可产生放电现象。因此,航天器深层放电防护除了选择合适的介质材料外,要尽可能地避免悬浮导体的存在,同时还必须考虑真空度和温度的影响。     

Invariance of Charged Particle Time Profiles at Late Stages of SCR Events from the Data of Multisatellite Observations

Based on the data obtained in simultaneous measurements on the Helios-1 and Helios-2 spacecraft, the properties of the spatial and temporal invariance of spectra of protons with energies more than 4 MeV and electrons with energies more than 0.3 MeV are studied during the phase of intensity decay in events initiated by the following associations: a flare—coronal mass ejection—coronal and interplanetary shock waves. Emphasis is placed on research into the fluxes of electrons, whose possibility to be accelerated by shock waves is problematic. It is shown that the spectra and decay times of both protons and electrons are approximately invariant relative to the flare coordinates in a wide angular range. Depending on the western or eastern spacecraft position in relation to the front part of a shock wave, one observes a delay or advance of the onset of the invariant mode relative to the shock wave arrival, which increases with the growth of the corresponding angular distance.     

Near-Equatorial Electrons as Measured onboard the MirSpace Station

Some results of studying the electrons with energies of tens to hundreds of keV at the low and near- equatorial geomagnetic latitudes by using the instruments Sprut-V and Ryabina-2 onboard the Mirspace station in 1991 are presented. It is found that at L< 1.2 the enhanced electron fluxes are sporadically detected, being localized within three longitudinal intervals, 180° W–0°–15° E, 90°– 120° E, and 160° E–180°–135° W. The most intense electron fluxes are observed at the lower edge of the near-equatorial boundary of the inner radiation belt on longitudes of the South Atlantic Anomaly between 14 and 20 h MLT. The occurrence of electron bursts does not depend on the geomagnetic disturbance level. A hardening of the electron spectra is observed near the geomagnetic equator. At L< 1.1, the more energetic particles are located closer to the geomagnetic equator. The results are compared with the data on the low-frequency waves and fields at low and near-equatorial latitudes obtained by the Ariel-4and San Marco Dsatellites, as well as by the spacecraft and ground-based observations of the thunderstorm global distribution. The thunderstorms are considered as a possible source of electron production near the geomagnetic equator.     

Energetic electrons in the tail and transition region of the magnetosphere

A comparative analysis has been carried out of the parameters of energetic electrons in the tail of the Earth’s magnetosphere that belong to three sources, i.e., electrons of solar origin, electrons generated in the magnetosphere of Jupiter, and electrons in the Earth’s magnetosphere. The differences in the time profiles of fluxes and energy spectra of the three electron sources, their relation to fluxes outside the magnetosphere, and periods of the occurrence of electron fluxes of each type are considered.     

Acceleration and particle transport in collisionless plasma in the process of dipolarization and nonstationary turbulence

This work is devoted to studying the processes of the acceleration of plasma particles in thin current sheets that appear during magnetospheric substorms in the Earth’s magnetosphere tail. A numerical model of magnetic dipolarization accompanied by plasma turbulence has been constructed and studied. The model allows one to investigate the particle acceleration due to the action of three principal mechanisms: (1) plasma turbulence; (2) magnetic dipolarization; (3) their simultaneous action. For the given velocity kappa-distributions, we obtained energy spectra of three types of accelerated particles, i.e., protons p⁺, ions of oxygen O⁺, and electrons e^–. It has been shown that the combined mechanism of dipolarization with turbulence (3) makes the largest contribution to the increase in the energy of protons and heavy ions as compared with a separate action of each of mechanisms (1) and (2); in this case, electrons accelerate less. The consideration of the joint action of acceleration mechanisms (1) and (2) can explain the apparition of particles with energies on the order of magnitude equal to hundreds keV in the Earth’s magnetosphere tail.     

载人航天器舱内辐射环境及剂量分析

构建载人航天器模型,利用Geant4软件计算了银河宇宙射线中的质子穿过载人航天器后在水模体中的总吸收剂量以及次级粒子吸收剂量,并且统计了不同种类的次级粒子在水模体中的总数量分布。计算结果表明,次级粒子引起的辐射剂量所占比例为50%,且二次电子总数量达到了10~7量级。     

Precipitation of subrelativistic-energy electrons near the polar boundary of the Earth radiation belt according to the data of measurements on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lomonosov</Emphasis> satellites

The work is devoted to observations of sharp growths of magnetospheric electron fluxes in the vicinity of the polar boundary of the outer radiation belt of the Earth according to the data of measurements on the Vernov and Lomonosov satellites. This precipitation was observed at the high-latitude boundary of the outer radiation belt toward the equator from the isotropization boundary, and can be caused by scattering waves of various physical natures, including electromagnetic and electrostatic waves.     

Enhancements of fluxes of precipitating energetic electrons on the boundary of the outer radiation belt of the earth and position of the auroral oval boundaries

An analysis of enhancements in the fluxes of electrons with energies above 300 keV registered onboard of the Coronas-F satellite in the polar regions at the boundary of the outer radiation belt is performed. Cases are revealed when the increases in question were observed consequently during multiple crossings of the outer radiation belt boundary. Localization of the revealed events relative to the auroral oval using the data of almost simultaneous observations of electrons with energies of 0.1–10 keV on the Meteor-3M satellite and OVATION model is studied. It is shown that almost all studied increases in relativistic electrons are localized at latitudes of the auroral oval. Various mechanisms which could cause the observed increases are discussed, as well as a possibility of formation of local traps of energetic particles in the high-latitude magnetosphere.     

Peculiarities of long-wave radio bursts from solar flares preceding strong geomagnetic storms

Radio bursts in the frequency range of 100–1500 kHz, recorded in 1997–2000 on the INTERBALL-1 satellite during the solar flares preceding the strong geomagnetic storms with D _st < ?100 nT, are analyzed in this paper. The observed long-wave III-type radio bursts of solar origin at frequencies of 1460 and 780 kHz were characterized by large values of the flux S _f = 10^?15 ?10^?17 W/m² Hz and duration longer than 10 min. The rapid frequency drift of a modulated radio burst continued up to a frequency of 250 kHz, which testified that the exciting agent (a beam of energetic electrons) propagated from the Sun to the Earth. All such flares were characterized by the appearance of halo coronal mass ejections, observed by the LASCO/SOHO, and by the presence of a southward B_z-component of the IMF, measured on the ACE and WIND spacecraft. In addition, shortly after radio bursts, the INTERBALL-1 satellite has recorded the fluxes of energetic electrons with E > 40 keV.