Origin of electron acceleration in the radiation belts of Earth, Jupiter and Saturn

行星和天体物理磁场中的电子加速是一个尚未解决的重大科学问题。在地球上，频率为几千赫兹的强烈电磁波非常有效地通过共振波-粒子相互作用将电子加速到相对论能量。这些加速机制直到最近才被认为是形成地球外部范艾伦辐射带的主要过程，并促使新的卫星任务，如NASA的辐射带风暴探测器(RBSP)，以及加拿大(轨道)和日本(ERG)拟议的任务来测试这些想法。在木星和土星的磁场中也可以观察到强烈的电磁波，其强度足以在与传输过程相当的时间尺度上引起电子加速。这表明，共振电子加速可能对所有行星辐射带都很重要。这一提议的目的是检验这样一个假设，即共振波-粒子相互作用是地球、木星和土星的主要电子加速过程，并在这些行星的辐射带形成中发挥主要作用。这项研究将留下将在项目完成后很长时间持续的谅解遗产，开发将直接用于空间保险、卫星建设和卫星服务行业的计算机模型，并为年轻科学家提供培训。

Electron acceleration inside planetary and astrophysical magnetic fields is a major unresolved scientific question. At the Earth, intense electromagnetic waves at frequencies of a few kiloHertz are very effective in accelerating electrons up to relativistic energies via resonant wave-particle interactions. These acceleration mechanisms have only recently been recognised as major processes for forming the Earth's outer Van Allen radiation belt and have spurred new satellite missions such as NASA's Radiation Belt Storms Probes (RBSP), and proposed missions by Canada (ORBITALS) and Japan (ERG) to test these ideas. Intense electromagnetic waves are also observed inside the magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn and are strong enough to cause electron acceleration on a timescale comparable to that for transport. This suggests that resonant electron acceleration could be important for all planetary radiation belts. The aim of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that resonant wave-particle interactions are a major electron acceleration process at Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, and play a major role in the formation of radiation belts at these planets. The research will leave a legacy of understanding that will last long after the completion of the project, develop computer models that will be of direct use to the space insurance, satellite construction, and satellite service industries, and provide training for a young scientist.