Lightning-induced neutrons as a possible source of charged particles in the Earth's inner radiation belt  

作　　者：QuanQi Shi ChenYao Han Qiu-Gang Zong Alexander Degeling Shuo Wang SuiYan Fu PengZhi He 

机构地区：[1]Shandong Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment,School of Space Science and Technology,Institute of Space Sciences,Shandong University,Weihai Shandong 264209,China [2]School of Earth and Space Sciences,Peking University,Beijing 100871,China [3]WeiHai Research Institute of Industrial Technology of Shandong University,Weihai Shandong 264209,China

出　　处：《Earth and Planetary Physics》2025年第2期444-451,共8页地球与行星物理(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42225405 and No. 42350710200)。

摘　　要：The Van Allen radiation belts are doughnut-shaped zones surrounding Earth, filled with highly energetic charged particles whose sources or loss mechanisms have been investigated for decades. As for the inner belt, cosmic ray albedo neutron decay(CRAND),radial diffusion, and local acceleration have been considered principal sources of electrons, whereas protons are predominantly from CRAND and solar protons. In this article, lightning-induced neutrons from Earth's upper atmosphere are suggested as a possible source of protons and electrons in the inner radiation belt. These terrestrial neutrons can contribute to the inner belt population by undergoing nuclear decay. Several approaches are proposed and discussed to evaluate the potential contribution of lightning-induced neutrons to the inner belt, including magnitude estimation, Monte Carlo simulations, and in situ observations. This article discusses some avenues of further study to determine the contribution of lightning-induced neutrons to the inner radiation belt.

关 键 词：Van Allen radiation belts cosmic ray albedo neutron decay(CRAND) LIGHTNING neutrons 

分 类 号：P353.4[天文地球—空间物理学]