Testing the importance of precipitation loss mechanisms in the inner radiation belt

Abstract

Manmade control of the radiation belts for the protection of space‐based infrastructure has been suggested on the basis of theoretical calculations. In this paper we put forward an experimental test of the relative importance of either whistler‐induced electron precipitation (WEP) or manmade VLF transmitters as the most significant inner radiation belt loss mechanisms for 2 < L < 2.4. The experimental identification of seasonality in inner radiation belt electrons lifetimes would provide strong evidence for the relative significance of WEP‐ or manmade transmitter‐driven losses depending on the relative phasing found.