@article{SmirnovShpritsAllisonetal.2022,
  author    = {Smirnov, Artem and Shprits, Yuri Y. and Allison, Hayley and Aseev, Nikita and Drozdov, Alexander and Kollmann, Peter and Wang, Dedong and Saikin, Anthony},
  title     = {An empirical model of the equatorial electron pitch angle distributions in earth's outer radiation belt},
  series = {Space Weather: the International Journal of Research and Applications},
  volume    = {20},
  journal   = {Space Weather: the International Journal of Research and Applications},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {American Geophysical Union},
  address   = {Washington, DC},
  issn      = {1542-7390},
  doi       = {10.1029/2022SW003053},
  pages     = {17},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {In this study, we present an empirical model of the equatorial electron pitch angle distributions (PADs) in the outer radiation belt based on the full data set collected by the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) instrument onboard the Van Allen Probes in 2012-2019. The PADs are fitted with a combination of the first, third and fifth sine harmonics. The resulting equation resolves all PAD types found in the outer radiation belt (pancake, flat-top, butterfly and cap PADs) and can be analytically integrated to derive omnidirectional flux. We introduce a two-step modeling procedure that for the first time ensures a continuous dependence on L, magnetic local time and activity, parametrized by the solar wind dynamic pressure. We propose two methods to reconstruct equatorial electron flux using the model. The first approach requires two uni-directional flux observations and is applicable to low-PA data. The second method can be used to reconstruct the full equatorial PADs from a single uni- or omnidirectional measurement at off-equatorial latitudes. The model can be used for converting the long-term data sets of electron fluxes to phase space density in terms of adiabatic invariants, for physics-based modeling in the form of boundary conditions, and for data assimilation purposes.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DrozdovAseevEffenbergeretal.2019,
  author    = {Drozdov, Alexander and Aseev, Nikita and Effenberger, Frederic and Turner, Drew L. and Saikin, Anthony and Shprits, Yuri Y.},
  title     = {Storm Time Depletions of Multi-MeV Radiation Belt Electrons Observed at Different Pitch Angles},
  series = {Journal of geophysical research : Space physics},
  volume    = {124},
  journal   = {Journal of geophysical research : Space physics},
  number    = {11},
  publisher = {American Geophysical Union},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {2169-9380},
  doi       = {10.1029/2019JA027332},
  pages     = {8943 -- 8953},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {During geomagnetic storms, the rapid depletion of the high-energy (several MeV) outer radiation belt electrons is the result of loss to the interplanetary medium through the magnetopause, outward radial diffusion, and loss to the atmosphere due to wave-particle interactions. We have performed a statistical study of 110 storms using pitch angle resolved electron flux measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission and found that inside of the radiation belt (L* = 3 - 5) the number of storms that result in depletion of electrons with equatorial pitch angle alpha(eq) = 30 degrees is higher than number of storms that result in depletion of electrons with equatorial pitch angle alpha(eq) = 75 degrees. We conclude that this result is consistent with electron scattering by whistler and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. At the outer edge of the radiation belt (L* >= 5.2) the number of storms that result in depletion is also large (similar to 40-50\%), emphasizing the significance of the magnetopause shadowing effect and outward radial transport.},
  language  = {en}
}