What is Van Allen Radiation Belts
Definition: A radiation belt refers to a layer of charged and energetic particles which is held by the planet’s magnetic field around the planet. The Van Allen belt specifically refers to the radiation belts around the Earth.
Description: These belts were discovered by a group of US scientists in 1958 under the supervision of Dr James Van Allen. The Earth has two belts - one is Van Allen and the second appears to be temporary. Planets like Jupiter and Saturn have similar belts. The Sun itself has only temporary radiation belts because it lacks a global dipole field. These belts are found in the inner part of the Earth's magnetosphere.
The main constituents of the belts are believed to come from solar wind and cosmic rays. The belt is divided into two belts - outer and inner. The inner belt extends from roughly 600 miles to 3,700 miles, that is, from 1,000 km to 6,000 km above the earth's surface. The outer belt extends from 9,200 miles (15,000 km) to 15,600 miles (25,000 km) above the surface.
The outer belt of the radiation belt is formed by the energetic and charged electrons and the inner belt contains a combination of protons and electrons and is formed as a result of cosmic ray collisions in the upper atmosphere. These particles do not have enough energy to escape into space. Other nuclei particles like alpha and beta are found in lesser quantities. The radiation belt can be a danger to satellites that spend considerable time in the radiation belt. So the delicate parts should be protected from radiation with the help of adequate shielding.
Description: These belts were discovered by a group of US scientists in 1958 under the supervision of Dr James Van Allen. The Earth has two belts - one is Van Allen and the second appears to be temporary. Planets like Jupiter and Saturn have similar belts. The Sun itself has only temporary radiation belts because it lacks a global dipole field. These belts are found in the inner part of the Earth's magnetosphere.
The main constituents of the belts are believed to come from solar wind and cosmic rays. The belt is divided into two belts - outer and inner. The inner belt extends from roughly 600 miles to 3,700 miles, that is, from 1,000 km to 6,000 km above the earth's surface. The outer belt extends from 9,200 miles (15,000 km) to 15,600 miles (25,000 km) above the surface.
The outer belt of the radiation belt is formed by the energetic and charged electrons and the inner belt contains a combination of protons and electrons and is formed as a result of cosmic ray collisions in the upper atmosphere. These particles do not have enough energy to escape into space. Other nuclei particles like alpha and beta are found in lesser quantities. The radiation belt can be a danger to satellites that spend considerable time in the radiation belt. So the delicate parts should be protected from radiation with the help of adequate shielding.
