Testing the importance of precipitation loss mechanisms in the inner radiation belt

Abstract

Manmade control of the radiation belts for the protection of space-based infrastructure has been suggested on the basis of theoretical calculations. In this paper we put forward an experimental test of the relative importance of either whistler-induced electron precipitation (WEP) or manmade VLF transmitters as the most significant inner radiation belt loss mechanisms for 2 < L < 2.4. The experimental identification of seasonality in inner radiation belt electrons lifetimes would provide strong evidence for the relative significance of WEP- or manmade transmitter-driven losses depending on the relative phasing found. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.