Researchers chart course for updating radiation belt models Journal Article

Overview

Exciting new results from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) and Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) missions reveal that some of the energetic electrons and ions trapped in the Van Allen belts come from unexpected sources. This new development and other changing perceptions clearly show that the empirical models of the radiation belts produced by NASA and Russia about 10–15 years ago have been outdated for some time and need to be revised.At the Radiation Belts: Models and Standards workshop held in Brussels from October 17 to 20, 1995, members of the community reviewed the most recent models of the trapped radiation belts, identified the lesserknown aspects of the radiation environment, and outlined a strategy for updating models and developing new models.