Journal Article

Space Weather Effects Produced by the Ring Current Particles

Ganushkina, Natalia, Jaynes, Allison, Liemohn, Michael

2017

Overview

One of the definitions of space weather describes it as the time-varying space environment that may be hazardous to technological systems in space and/or on the ground and/or endanger human health or life. The ring current has its contributions to space weather effects, both in terms of particles, ions and electrons, which constitute it, and magnetic and electric fields produced and modified by it at the ground and in space. We address the main aspects of the space weather effects from the ring current starting with brief review of ring current discovery and physical processes and the Dst-index and predictions of the ring current and storm occurrence based on it. Special attention is paid to the effects on satellites produced by the ring current electrons. The ring current is responsible for several processes in the other inner magnetosphere populations, such as the plasmasphere and radiation belts which is also described. Finally, we discuss the ring current influence on the ionosphere and the generation of geomagnetically induced currents (GIC).

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aerospace environments / Aerospace Technology and Astronautics / Astrophysics and Astroparticles / Atoms & subatomic particles / Electric currents / Electric fields / Electrons / Ionosphere / Magnetosphere / Magnetospheres / Physics / Physics and Astronomy / Planetology / Plasmasphere / Radiation / Radiation belts / Ring currents / Space / Space Exploration and Astronautics / Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics / Space weather / Storms / The Scientific Foundation of Space Weather / Weather / Weather effects