Longitudinal drift velocity of geomagnetically trapped particles

Abstract

Longitudinal drift velocities for charged particles trapped in a realistic representation of the geomagnetic field are calculated for the magnetic shell L = 1.25. It is found that the drift velocity varies with longitude, being as much as 30 per cent greater in the region of magnetic anomalies. The effect of the drift velocity variation on the average atmospheric densities and effective scale heights for trapped particles on this shell is considered. The variation is found to reduce average densities calculated for certain traces of constant (B, L) by 10 to 25 per cent but not to significantly influence calculated values of effective scale heights in the range of altitudes considered.