Creation of model of quasi-trapped proton fluxes below Earth’s radiation belt Original Research Article

The object of investigation is the phenomenon of proton (from tens keV to several MeV) flux enhancement in near-equatorial region (L < 1.15) at altitude up to ∼1300 km (the storm-time equatorial belt). These fluxes are quite small but the problem of their origin is more interesting than the possible damage they can produce. The well known sources of these protons are radiation belt and ring current. The mechanism of transport is the charge-exchange on neutral hydrogen of exosphere and the charge-exchange on oxygen of upper atmosphere. Therefore this belt is something like the ring current projection to low altitudes. Using the large set of satellites data we obtain the average energy spectrum, the approximation of spectrum using kappa-function, the flux dependence on L, B geomagnetic parameters. On the basis of more than 30 years of experimental observations we made the empiric model that extends model of proton fluxes below 100 keV in the region of small L-values (L < 1.15). The model was realized as the package of programs integrated into COSRAD system available via Internet. The model can be used for revision of estimation of dose that low-orbital space devices obtain.