"A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetosphere."
Regions in the magnetosphere where charged particles are trapped and generate significant radiation.
Magnetosphere and Ionosphere: An overview and introduction to the basic elements of the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere, including their structure and behavior.
Electromagnetic Waves: An introduction to the different types of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays.
Radiation: An overview of the different types of radiation, including ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and their effects on human health and the environment.
Magnetic Fields: An introduction to the concept of magnetic fields and their behavior in space, including their generation and interaction with charged particles.
Charged Particles: An overview of the behavior of charged particles in magnetic fields, including their motion, acceleration, and confinement.
Magnetohydrodynamics: An introduction to the principles of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and their applications in understanding the behavior of plasma and magnetic fields in space.
Energy Transfer: An overview of the processes by which energy is transferred between different regions of the magnetosphere, including particle precipitation, wave-particle interactions, and magnetic reconnection.
Radiation Belts: An introduction to the two main radiation belts of the Earth's magnetosphere, the Van Allen radiation belts, and their properties and dynamics.
Electromagnetic Radiation: An overview of the different types of electromagnetic radiation that are present in the magnetosphere, including radio waves, whistler waves, and chorus waves.
Plasma Waves: An introduction to the various types of plasma waves that exist in the magnetosphere, including whistler waves, chorus waves, and magnetosonic waves.
Particle Acceleration: An overview of the different mechanisms by which charged particles can be accelerated in the magnetosphere, including wave-particle interactions and magnetic reconnection.
Data Analysis: An introduction to the methods and tools used to analyze data from satellite missions and ground-based observations of the magnetosphere, including spectroscopy, imaging, and time-series analysis.
Slot Region: A lower-density region that separates the two main radiation belts. It is created as a result of the Earth's magnetic field lines converging near the equator.
South Atlantic Anomaly: A region over the South Atlantic Ocean where the Inner Radiation Belt comes closest to the Earth's surface. It is characterized by higher radiation levels and can sometimes cause glitches in electronic equipment onboard satellites passing through it.
Polar Radiation Belts: A type of radiation belt that forms over the Earth's polar regions. These belts are created by charged particles from the solar wind that become trapped in the magnetic field lines that converge over the poles.
Van Allen Probes: A pair of NASA spacecraft launched in 2012 to study the Earth's radiation belts. They provide detailed information on the composition and dynamics of the belts.
Innermost Stable Equatorial Orbit (ISEO): A special type of orbit that was proposed as a way to limit the exposure of spacecraft to the radiation belts. A spacecraft placed in this orbit would be shielded from the most intense radiation while still being able to access the geostationary orbits. However, this orbit is not currently used for spacecraft operations.
"Earth has two such belts, and sometimes others may be temporarily created."
"The belts are named after James Van Allen, who is credited with their discovery."
"Earth's two main belts extend from an altitude of about 640 to 58,000 km (400 to 36,040 mi) above the surface."
"They trap energetic electrons and protons. Other nuclei, such as alpha particles, are less prevalent."
"Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from the solar wind while others arrive as cosmic rays."
"By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the atmosphere from destruction."
"The belts endanger satellites, which must have their sensitive components protected with adequate shielding if they spend significant time near that zone."
"Apollo Astronauts going through the Van Allen Belts received a very low and non-harmful dose of radiation."
"In 2013, the Van Allen Probes detected a transient, third radiation belt, which persisted for four weeks."
"Van Allen radiation belts are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetosphere."
"Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from the solar wind while others arrive as cosmic rays."
"By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the atmosphere from destruction."
"The belts endanger satellites, which must have their sensitive components protected with adequate shielding if they spend significant time near that zone."
"The belts are named after James Van Allen, who is credited with their discovery."
"Earth has two such belts, and sometimes others may be temporarily created."
"They trap energetic electrons and protons."
"Earth's two main belts extend from an altitude of about 640 to 58,000 km (400 to 36,040 mi) above the surface."
"The Van Allen Probes detected a transient, third radiation belt, which persisted for four weeks."
"Apollo Astronauts going through the Van Allen Belts received a very low and non-harmful dose of radiation."