In a quest to better predict space weather, the Dartmouth researchers study the radiation belts from above and below in complementary approaches - through satellites (the twin NASA Van Allen Probes) high over the Earth and through dozens of instrument-laden balloons (BARREL, or Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) at lower altitudes to assess the particles that rain down. The Dartmouth space physicists are part of a NASA-sponsored team that studies the Van Allen radiation belts, which are donut-shaped belts of charged particles held in place by the Earth's magnetosphere, the magnetic field surrounding our planet. The results appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The belts are impacted by fluctuations in " space weather" caused by solar activity that can disrupt GPS satellites, communication systems, power grids and manned space exploration. The study is the most detailed analysis so far of the link between these waves and the fallout of electrons from the planet's radiation belts.
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