Radial diffusion coefficient for electrons at low<i>L</i>values

Abstract

An empirical evaluation of the diffusion coefficient for trapped electrons diffusing across low L shells is obtained by adjusting the coefficient to account for the observed radial profile and the long-term decay rate of the trapped electron flux. The diffusion mechanism is not identified, but it is assumed that the adiabatic invariants µ and J are conserved. The average value of the coefficient for electrons > 1.6 Mev energy is found to decrease monotonically from ∼4 × 10−6 RE²/day at L = 1.16 to ∼2 × 10−7 RE²/day at L = 1.20.