A Method for Calculating Atmospheric Radiation Produced by Relativistic Electron Precipitation

Xu, Wei; Marshall, R. A.; Tobiska, W. Kent

doi:10.1029/2021sw002735

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(182 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Bremsstrahlung transport is shown for three energies in Xu et al. (2021): the last two of these previous works are directly compared to this work in Section 6. Other models exist that use similar Monte Carlo techniques for different purposes, such as the auroral model of Solomon (2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons With Geant4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Berland,

Marshall,

Capannolo

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We present a new model designed to simulate the process of energetic particle precipitation, a vital coupling mechanism from Earth's magnetosphere to its atmosphere. The atmospheric response, namely excess ionization in the upper and middle atmosphere, together with bremsstrahlung X‐ray production, is calculated with kinetic particle simulations using the Geant4 Monte Carlo framework. Mono‐energy and mono‐pitch angle electron beams are simulated and combined using a Green's function approach to represent realistic electron spectra and pitch angle distributions. Results from this model include more accurate ionization profiles than previous analytical models, deeper photon penetration into the atmosphere than previous Monte Carlo model predictions, and predictions of backscatter fractions of loss cone electrons up to 40%. The model results are verified by comparison with previous precipitation modeling results, and validated using balloon X‐ray measurements from the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses mission and backscattered electron energy and pitch angle measurements from the Electron Loss and Fields Investigation with a Spatio‐Temporal Ambiguity‐Resolving CubeSat mission. The model results and solution techniques are developed into a Python package for public use.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons With Geant4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Berland,

Marshall,

Capannolo

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Finally, the work of Xu et al (2020) uses a full Monte Carlo model with forward-modeled mono-energy and mono-pitch angle electron beams that more realistically represents high energy processes, but does not include bremsstrahlung transport to lower altitudes. Bremsstrahlung tranpsort is shown for three energies in Xu et al (2021): the last two of these previous works are directly compared to this work in Section 6. Other models exist that use similar Monte Carlo techniques for different purposes, such as the auroral model of Solomon (2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons with GEANT4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Berland

Marshall

Capannolo

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We present a new model designed to simulate the process of energetic particle precipitation, a vital coupling mechanism from Earth’s magnetosphere to its atmosphere. The atmospheric response, namely excess ionization in the upper and middle atmosphere, together with bremsstrahlung X-ray production, is calculated with kinetic particle simulations using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo framework. Mono-energy and mono-pitch angle electron beams are simulated and combined using a Green’s function approach to represent realistic electron spectra and pitch angle distributions. Results from this model include more accurate ionization profiles than previous analytical models, deeper photon penetration into the atmosphere than previous Monte Carlo model predictions, and predictions of backscatter fractions of loss cone electrons up to 40%. The model results are verified by comparison with previous precipitation modeling results, and validated using balloon X-ray measurements from the BARREL mission and backscattered electron energy and pitch angle measurements from the ELFIN CubeSat mission. The model results and solution techniques are developed into a Python package for public use.

show abstract

“…To elucidate the mechanism of the ionization effect on chemical composition and ozone in the Earth's atmosphere, it is sufficient to know the primary spectra of precipitating electrons at the boundary of the atmosphere. In addition, knowledge of the spectrum is important for understanding the processes of acceleration and loss of electrons in the outer radiation belt (e.g., Hua et al., 2022) as well as for evaluating the effect of precipitating electrons on living creatures and equipment in near‐Earth space and atmosphere (e.g., Summers & Stone, 2022; Xu & Marshall, 2019; Xu et al., 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A new motivation to the study of bremsstrahlung was given by the realization of the contribution of bremsstrahlung to the radiation hazard at aviation altitudes (Tobiska et al, 2018), leading to a series of works devoted to simulation of the X-ray production and transport through the atmosphere (Xu & Marshall, 2019;Xu et al, 2018Xu et al, , 2020. Xu et al (2021) developed a technique for estimation of the expected radiation dose at the flight path depending on precipitating electron flux, spectrum, and pitch angle distribution.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of Energy Spectrum of Precipitating Magnetospheric Electrons Based on Bremsstrahlung X‐Ray Fluxes Recorded in the Atmosphere

Makhmutov,

Maurchev,

Bazilevskaya

et al. 2023

JGR Space Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous energetic electron precipitation events were recorded since 1963 in the atmosphere at polar latitudes in the course of regular measurements of charged particle fluxes in the Earth's atmosphere being performed by the Lebedev Physical Institute. The experimental data obtained represent the only uniform database in the world on electron precipitation events recorded directly in the atmosphere well below satellite orbits. The precipitating electrons are absorbed in the upper atmosphere. However, they generate X‐rays that can penetrate deep into the atmosphere sometimes down to altitudes of 20–35 km accessible to balloon measurements. These experimental data allow studying energy, temporal and spatial characteristics of electron precipitation events. In particular, based on PLANETOCOSMICS/GEANT4 we developed a method for evaluating the energy spectra of the primary flux of precipitating electrons. This method was used for evaluation of primary spectra of precipitating electrons assuming exponential energy distribution of incident electrons. Now, for the development of the method, we present the possibility of determining the energy spectra of electrons in the power‐law form, using new software RUSCOSMICS code. This new method, based on the GEANT4 software, makes it possible to describe the transport of precipitating electrons in the atmosphere taking into account the evolution of the energy and pitch‐angle distributions of electrons and X‐ray photons.

show abstract

A Method for Calculating Atmospheric Radiation Produced by Relativistic Electron Precipitation

Cited by 15 publications

References 58 publications

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons With Geant4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons With Geant4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Kinetic Modeling of Radiation Belt Electrons with GEANT4 to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation in Earth's Atmosphere

Estimation of Energy Spectrum of Precipitating Magnetospheric Electrons Based on Bremsstrahlung X‐Ray Fluxes Recorded in the Atmosphere

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About