Van Allen Probes: Empirical Laws of Plasmapause Location from RBSP-B Data (2012-2019)

Empirical laws of plasmapause and plasmasphere outer edge location derived from spacecraft charging data from the Van Allen Probes (RBSP). The primary data covers Probe B observations from 26 September 2012 to 16 July 2019, with additional supporting data from Probe A. The dataset was published by researchers including J.-F. Ripoll and S. A. Thaller in a 2022 Geophysical Research Letters article.

Use Cases

• Modeling the plasmapause location based on geomagnetic indices (Kp, AE, Dst).
• Analyzing MLT (Magnetic Local Time) dependent variations in plasmasphere boundaries.
• Validating and comparing statistical models of the inner magnetosphere using spacecraft data.
• Studying the correlation between geomagnetic activity and the position of the dense plasma outer edge.

Strengths

• Data is sourced from the Van Allen Probes (RBSP) mission, a dedicated spacecraft mission.
• Covers a significant time range for Probe B, from September 2012 to July 2019.
• Provides empirical laws versus both standard and time-integrated ('starred') geomagnetic indices.
• Includes both MLT-averaged and MLT-sector dependent data files.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

University of Colorado Boulder (author S. A. Thaller) via paperswithcode, associated with a peer-reviewed publication.

Collection Method

Derived from spacecraft charging data from the Van Allen Probes (RBSP).

Time Range

Primary data: 26 September 2012 to 16 July 2019 (RBSP-B). Supporting data: October 2012 to April 2016 (RBSP-A).

Geography

Earth's magnetosphere and plasmasphere.