CHAPTER I/p2-VAN ALLEN BELT CONTRIBUTION

VAN ALLEN BELT

I-General about Van Allen belts:

I and many among my colleagues used to view Earth’s magnetic field as one that can only facilitate the magnetic compass to indicate the North magnetic direction and no more it can offer. But the Van Allen belt appears to change our mind; the Earth’s magnetic field is not very strong but good enough in facilitating the establishment of Van Allen belt which can stop any fast moving charged particle. The Van Allen belt, as matter of fact, plays an important role in protecting our planet.

(The following is almost prepared with close reference to SPACE & NASA’s documents and papers, which are open to everyone and nothing is from classified information.)

(By NASA)

1-What is Van Allen belt: a collection of charged particles, gathered by Earth’s magnetism, in a shape of belts around Earth.

2-The earliest discovery to the belts: 1958 by Explorer 1 (NASA’s Satellite).

-Belt’s structure: normally 2 belts, one is separated from the other by a large drain/gap; can split up to 3 belts or merged in one sometimes. The inner belt is almost close to Earth surface at minimum about 400 miles; while the outer belt is rather far and even stretches to 36000 miles.

The drain is discovered in 2012; a remarkable feature of the belt is that its drain can stop the ultra-fast electron in there. The scientists from NASA are still not determined about reason for the belt separation. Their hesitation is quite understandable because no mechanism of electric force or magnetic field is found linking to the wax & wane activity of the belts (which is in conjunction with Sun’s activity). The scientists likely ascribe to the particles from space or the Sun.

The unidentified particles or quarks might be gathered among the belts and create an unknown field between them, the field makes the belts split-up wide.

-How the belts work: They can wax and wane in response to incoming energy from the Sun, sometime swelling up enough to expose satellites in low-Earth orbit to damaging radiation.

-Undiscovered about the belts: With some satellites working on space at all the time; the more research to the belts are carried out, the more expect to be discovered; even the unidentified particle or quark.

-Plasmasphere: A companion to the belts is a giant plasma sphere which can be assumed as twinned to the belts. The plasma sphere is cloud of relative cool and charged particles that fills the outermost region of Earth’s atmosphere. That sphere begins approximately at 400-600 miles (rather close to Earth surface) and extends partially to outer Van Allen belt.

PROBLEM

If total charge of the Van Allen belts and plasma sphere is equivalent to a single band of +10⁶ Coulombs around Earth equator at a distance 1500 km from Earth surface, and evenly distributed on it.

How is the magnetism induced by the Band to the equator (Earth)? 

(V-A 01)

   

    

Where unit of ‘’Q’’ is in Coulomb and unit of ‘’d’’ is km.

Replace Q=10⁶ Coulombs, d=1500 km (as assumed) into the above formula:

  Δ(3)= -8.4169*10^-23 *666.666667=10^-20*5.611267 Tesla

(Note: the Belt is assumed as on a plane perpendicular to Earth’s rotating axis, the assumption is not verified and the reality definitely is not be so. Therefore, in order to calculate for a better accuracy, the belt as well as the plasma sphere can be represented by many bands (or hoops) in a larger problem).

Conclusion:

If Van Allen belt and plasma sphere are equivalent to a band of Q Coulombs (the Band) around the Earth on plane of Earth’s equator. The Band is to induce magnetism on Earth’s equator; its additional intensity is calculated as (V-A 01):

 

In reality, Van Allen belts and plasma sphere are not only changing in shape and size, but also in intensity. With such a complicated change, the above mentioned ‘’Δ3’’ demonstrates nothing but ‘’yes’’ to the question ‘’influence?’’. Furthermore, as noted above, the larger problem is required to estimate the additional magnetic intensity with better accuracy.