Active ingredients consisting of Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) and a Proton and Heavy Ion Detector (PHIDE) have been carried on a number of Space Shuttle flights. These instruments have allowed us to map out parts of the South Atlantic Particle Anomaly (SAA) and to compare some of it's features with predictions of the AP-8 energetic proton flux models. We have observed that consistent with the generally observed westward drift of the surface features of the terrestial magnetic field of the SAA has moved west by about 6.9 degrees longitude between the epoch year 1970 of the AP-8 solar maximum model and the Space Shuttle observations made twenty years later. However, calculations indicate that except for relatively brief periods following very large magnetic storms the SAA seems to occupy the same position in L-space as in 1970. After the great storm of 24 March 1991 reconfiguration of the inner radiation belt and/or proton injection into the inner belt, a second energetic proton belt was observed to form at approximately equal to 2. As confirmed by a subsequent flight observations, this belt was shown to persist at least for six months. Our measurements also indicate an upward shift in the L location of the primary belt from L = 1.4 to L = 1.5. In addition we confirm through direct real time observations the existence and the approximate magnitude of the East-West effect. If the need exists for improved and updated radiation belt models in the Space Station era, these observations point out the specific features that should be considered and incorporated when this task is undertaken.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Recent space shuttle observations of the South Atlantic anomaly and the radiation belt models


    Contributors:
    Konradi, A. (author) / Badhwar, G. D. (author) / Braby, L. A. (author)


    Publication date :

    1994-10-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English







    Thunderstorm Observations from Space Shuttle

    B. Vonnegut / O. H. Vaughan / M. Brook | NTIS | 1983


    Thunderstorm observations from Space Shuttle

    Vonnegut, B. / Vaughan, O. H., Jr. / Brook, M. | NTRS | 1983