1 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:03,830 hello and welcome to this NASA briefing 2 00:00:07,820 --> 00:00:05,370 about an exciting new discovery 3 00:00:10,129 --> 00:00:07,830 scientists made around Earth's radiation 4 00:00:11,780 --> 00:00:10,139 belts I'm Steve Cole from NASA 5 00:00:14,030 --> 00:00:11,790 headquarters Office of Communications 6 00:00:16,070 --> 00:00:14,040 we're bringing you this briefing today 7 00:00:17,750 --> 00:00:16,080 from the Johns Hopkins University 8 00:00:20,630 --> 00:00:17,760 Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel 9 00:00:22,250 --> 00:00:20,640 Maryland our panel today is going to 10 00:00:24,859 --> 00:00:22,260 talk to you about a new finding that's 11 00:00:26,509 --> 00:00:24,869 just been released today that is using 12 00:00:28,580 --> 00:00:26,519 data from NASA's Van Allen probes 13 00:00:31,339 --> 00:00:28,590 mission which was just launched last 14 00:00:32,959 --> 00:00:31,349 year our panel today we have four 15 00:00:35,959 --> 00:00:32,969 panelists let me introduce you to them 16 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:35,969 first is Mona Kessel Van Allen probes 17 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:37,890 program scientists from NASA 18 00:00:42,830 --> 00:00:41,010 headquarters in Washington dan Baker 19 00:00:44,930 --> 00:00:42,840 director of the laboratory for 20 00:00:48,229 --> 00:00:44,940 atmospheric and space physics at the 21 00:00:50,990 --> 00:00:48,239 University of Colorado in Boulder Nicky 22 00:00:53,209 --> 00:00:51,000 Fox Van Allen probes deputy project 23 00:00:54,889 --> 00:00:53,219 scientist from the Johns Hopkins 24 00:00:58,279 --> 00:00:54,899 University Applied Physics Laboratory 25 00:01:00,619 --> 00:00:58,289 and Joe conches space scientists at 26 00:01:03,619 --> 00:01:00,629 NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center 27 00:01:05,509 --> 00:01:03,629 in Boulder Colorado after our four 28 00:01:07,730 --> 00:01:05,519 panelists have given opening remarks 29 00:01:10,429 --> 00:01:07,740 we'll open it up to questions here in 30 00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:10,439 the audience people watching on NASA 31 00:01:15,740 --> 00:01:13,350 television and our media on the phone 32 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:15,750 lines if you're watching on NASA TV you 33 00:01:22,969 --> 00:01:18,210 can ask a question through twitter by 34 00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:22,979 using the hashtag ask nasa okay 35 00:01:29,990 --> 00:01:27,030 we'll begin with Mona thank you Steve 36 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:30,000 so NASA's radiation belt storm probes 37 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:32,820 launched last year as Steve said in 38 00:01:38,450 --> 00:01:36,210 August 2012 and right away we went into 39 00:01:41,270 --> 00:01:38,460 two-month time period of we call 40 00:01:43,999 --> 00:01:41,280 commissioning where the doors open the 41 00:01:46,249 --> 00:01:44,009 booms deploy the instruments turn on and 42 00:01:48,499 --> 00:01:46,259 we start ramping up the high voltage 43 00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:48,509 what we're trying to do is check out all 44 00:01:52,969 --> 00:01:50,070 the instruments make sure everything's 45 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:52,979 operational so that was two months as 46 00:01:58,010 --> 00:01:55,170 soon as that period was over then NASA 47 00:02:00,980 --> 00:01:58,020 renamed the mission the Van Allen probes 48 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:00,990 that was in honor of James Van Allen who 49 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:03,290 launched the Explorer 1 satellite in 50 00:02:08,779 --> 00:02:06,450 1958 that discovered the radiation belts 51 00:02:11,630 --> 00:02:08,789 so if we go to the first graphic thank 52 00:02:13,130 --> 00:02:11,640 you that shows the famous picture of 53 00:02:14,930 --> 00:02:13,140 Pickering then 54 00:02:17,150 --> 00:02:14,940 allan and von braun holding up the 55 00:02:19,550 --> 00:02:17,160 Explorer 1 satellite right after their 56 00:02:22,820 --> 00:02:19,560 successful launch and on the right side 57 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:22,830 is a picture of James Van Alen from Time 58 00:02:29,420 --> 00:02:26,310 magazine and that was because after that 59 00:02:31,310 --> 00:02:29,430 mission went and the subsequent missions 60 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:31,320 he and his team pieced together the 61 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:34,890 information that let us know or that 62 00:02:39,350 --> 00:02:37,170 deduced that the there was tracked 63 00:02:42,290 --> 00:02:39,360 radiation in the Earth's magnetic field 64 00:02:44,660 --> 00:02:42,300 and so that trapped radiation is now 65 00:02:47,330 --> 00:02:44,670 called the Van Allen belts and so this 66 00:02:49,250 --> 00:02:47,340 mission is and named in honor of him but 67 00:02:51,590 --> 00:02:49,260 what are they what are these radiation 68 00:02:53,750 --> 00:02:51,600 belts and where are they if we go the 69 00:02:55,910 --> 00:02:53,760 next thank you then you can see this is 70 00:02:58,729 --> 00:02:55,920 a schematic you see earth in the center 71 00:03:01,040 --> 00:02:58,739 you see the Sun off to your left and you 72 00:03:03,350 --> 00:03:01,050 see two red regions this is a cutaway 73 00:03:05,509 --> 00:03:03,360 view so these are doughnut shaped 74 00:03:07,250 --> 00:03:05,519 regions that wrap around the earth 75 00:03:09,110 --> 00:03:07,260 there's an inner belt and there's an 76 00:03:11,390 --> 00:03:09,120 outer belt at least as far as we have 77 00:03:14,509 --> 00:03:11,400 understood from from the beginning of 78 00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:14,519 any explorers so what happens is there's 79 00:03:19,580 --> 00:03:17,310 trapped radiation in those two areas the 80 00:03:21,890 --> 00:03:19,590 inner belt runs from about 1,000 to 81 00:03:24,910 --> 00:03:21,900 8,000 miles above the surface of the 82 00:03:28,729 --> 00:03:24,920 earth and the outer belt is from about 83 00:03:33,199 --> 00:03:28,739 25,000 to about excuse me 12,000 to 84 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:33,209 about 25,000 so this these satellites 85 00:03:36,319 --> 00:03:35,010 travel through these belts all of the 86 00:03:37,759 --> 00:03:36,329 time and you can see some of them 87 00:03:41,180 --> 00:03:37,769 pictured up there you can see the two 88 00:03:43,100 --> 00:03:41,190 Van Allen probes you can see GPS GPS 89 00:03:45,259 --> 00:03:43,110 travels through those regions all the 90 00:03:47,810 --> 00:03:45,269 time even in a quiet solar conditions 91 00:03:49,910 --> 00:03:47,820 but when we have disturbed conditions 92 00:03:53,509 --> 00:03:49,920 when there are solar storms then the 93 00:03:55,910 --> 00:03:53,519 belts expand the inner belt will will 94 00:03:57,710 --> 00:03:55,920 actually come down into the region where 95 00:04:01,670 --> 00:03:57,720 the International Space Station flies 96 00:04:04,310 --> 00:04:01,680 and other low orbiting orbiting 97 00:04:07,460 --> 00:04:04,320 satellites and the outer belt expands 98 00:04:09,650 --> 00:04:07,470 outward and so it encompasses the area 99 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:09,660 that we call geosynchronous orbit where 100 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:11,489 a lot of our communication satellites 101 00:04:16,849 --> 00:04:14,130 are and there's about 300 satellites out 102 00:04:19,190 --> 00:04:16,859 there so these these satellites then are 103 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:19,200 in a way of potentially harmful 104 00:04:23,089 --> 00:04:20,970 radiation it can affect their 105 00:04:25,580 --> 00:04:23,099 electronics and it can pose a threat to 106 00:04:26,070 --> 00:04:25,590 astronauts and and all of our satellites 107 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:26,080 that are 108 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:30,250 there so the radiation belt storm probes 109 00:04:34,469 --> 00:04:32,650 now the Van Allen probes was a second 110 00:04:35,189 --> 00:04:34,479 mission with the living with the Star 111 00:04:36,899 --> 00:04:35,199 program 112 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:36,909 pictured here this is just a couple of 113 00:04:41,550 --> 00:04:39,610 images to give the sense of what the 114 00:04:44,159 --> 00:04:41,560 living with a star program is about 115 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:44,169 it's that making the connections between 116 00:04:49,499 --> 00:04:46,330 the assets from the Sun to the earth 117 00:04:51,209 --> 00:04:49,509 that affect life in society so you can 118 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:51,219 see there astronauts you can see 119 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:53,530 greenery for for plants you can see 120 00:04:57,629 --> 00:04:55,210 there are fisheries there there are 121 00:05:01,260 --> 00:04:57,639 power systems all of these things are 122 00:05:04,529 --> 00:05:01,270 affected by space weather as we call it 123 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:04,539 affected by these radiation belts so Joe 124 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:06,550 country's later in this presentation is 125 00:05:10,110 --> 00:05:07,870 going to talk about that a little bit 126 00:05:12,270 --> 00:05:10,120 more and the only thing I still want to 127 00:05:14,820 --> 00:05:12,280 tell you now is about the Solar Dynamics 128 00:05:16,529 --> 00:05:14,830 Observatory which was the first mission 129 00:05:19,019 --> 00:05:16,539 with the living with the Star program 130 00:05:23,519 --> 00:05:19,029 I'm going to show you a video this is 131 00:05:26,399 --> 00:05:23,529 right after launch where a filament from 132 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:26,409 the Sun erupts from the atmosphere of 133 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:29,110 the Sun out into space it carries with 134 00:05:33,689 --> 00:05:30,930 it it's a it's a coronal mass ejection 135 00:05:35,550 --> 00:05:33,699 that's actually headed towards the earth 136 00:05:37,379 --> 00:05:35,560 and you can see another picture of it 137 00:05:40,379 --> 00:05:37,389 here with Soho which is a note one of 138 00:05:42,329 --> 00:05:40,389 our older satellite assets and this will 139 00:05:44,939 --> 00:05:42,339 show come back to sto and show you that 140 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:44,949 again this filament that bursts out into 141 00:05:49,980 --> 00:05:48,370 space so those happen all the time on 142 00:05:53,100 --> 00:05:49,990 the Sun but they're not always directed 143 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:53,110 at Earth this one was at least as a 144 00:05:59,219 --> 00:05:55,690 glancing blow and it came to the earth 145 00:06:01,260 --> 00:05:59,229 and our radiation belts exploded with 146 00:06:02,670 --> 00:06:01,270 with things that were happening and so 147 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:02,680 now I'm going to turn this over to Dan 148 00:06:08,700 --> 00:06:04,690 Baker and let him tell you about this 149 00:06:09,749 --> 00:06:08,710 remarkable discovery Thank You Mona yes 150 00:06:11,459 --> 00:06:09,759 I'm going to talk to you today about 151 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:11,469 science paper that's being published 152 00:06:18,450 --> 00:06:15,849 today in the journal Science actually 153 00:06:20,519 --> 00:06:18,460 online science express I'm going to talk 154 00:06:22,110 --> 00:06:20,529 to you about the confinement of these 155 00:06:26,309 --> 00:06:22,120 very high-energy particles in Earth's 156 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:26,319 magnetic field as moana noted for the 157 00:06:31,529 --> 00:06:29,650 last five decades we've been told in the 158 00:06:34,290 --> 00:06:31,539 textbooks that their Van Allen belts 159 00:06:37,889 --> 00:06:34,300 consists of two regions of trapped 160 00:06:39,660 --> 00:06:37,899 radiation the inner stable zone slot 161 00:06:41,820 --> 00:06:39,670 region and outer zone 162 00:06:43,820 --> 00:06:41,830 what we found rather remarkable is just 163 00:06:46,670 --> 00:06:43,830 a couple of days after turning on our 164 00:06:49,380 --> 00:06:46,680 high energy electron detection 165 00:06:52,380 --> 00:06:49,390 instrumentation that we really saw that 166 00:06:54,510 --> 00:06:52,390 there was a three belt structure and 167 00:06:56,130 --> 00:06:54,520 this persisted for four weeks and then 168 00:06:58,800 --> 00:06:56,140 really turned off if I could have the 169 00:07:00,480 --> 00:06:58,810 first graphic please this is several 170 00:07:02,730 --> 00:07:00,490 different energy channels displayed 171 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:02,740 across in time the vertical axis is 172 00:07:09,810 --> 00:07:05,770 essentially distance measured out from 173 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:09,820 the earth in Earth radii and if you do 174 00:07:14,780 --> 00:07:12,250 the next graphic click here you'll see 175 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:14,790 that we saw the inner belt we saw the 176 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:17,380 expected slot region and then we saw 177 00:07:24,420 --> 00:07:21,130 this new emergence of a third belt and a 178 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:24,430 gap a second gap region a second slot we 179 00:07:28,860 --> 00:07:26,770 go on to the next slide or the next 180 00:07:31,050 --> 00:07:28,870 animation really I just like to tell you 181 00:07:33,540 --> 00:07:31,060 that the relativistic electron proton 182 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:33,550 telescope was put on to the spacecraft 183 00:07:39,030 --> 00:07:36,010 you see the integration process here it 184 00:07:41,550 --> 00:07:39,040 was really geared toward measuring the 185 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:41,560 highest energy particles a confined in 186 00:07:45,660 --> 00:07:44,170 the Earth's magnetic field and what our 187 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:45,670 goal was was to really be able to 188 00:07:49,260 --> 00:07:47,650 measure to higher energies with better 189 00:07:51,090 --> 00:07:49,270 energy resolution better temporal 190 00:07:54,090 --> 00:07:51,100 resolution better spatial resolution in 191 00:07:55,890 --> 00:07:54,100 order to address these very 192 00:07:57,870 --> 00:07:55,900 long-standing questions about how 193 00:08:00,420 --> 00:07:57,880 particles are accelerated and lost from 194 00:08:04,230 --> 00:08:00,430 the Van Allen belts if we could have the 195 00:08:07,230 --> 00:08:04,240 next graphic please further motivation 196 00:08:09,390 --> 00:08:07,240 for us was the long run of data that we 197 00:08:11,130 --> 00:08:09,400 had from another NASA mission called the 198 00:08:13,590 --> 00:08:11,140 solar anomalous magnetic particle 199 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:13,600 Explorer samp X this was launched in 200 00:08:19,020 --> 00:08:16,930 1992 it made measurements in low-earth 201 00:08:21,780 --> 00:08:19,030 orbit it wasn't really not and operating 202 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:21,790 in the throat of the cosmic accelerator 203 00:08:27,510 --> 00:08:24,280 that operates in our neighborhood but it 204 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:27,520 was really revealing the inner belt the 205 00:08:32,190 --> 00:08:29,710 outer belt the slot region over the long 206 00:08:36,300 --> 00:08:32,200 period of time we learned early in the 207 00:08:38,250 --> 00:08:36,310 summer of 2012 that the sample is going 208 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:38,260 to come to an end atmospheric drag was 209 00:08:42,510 --> 00:08:39,970 going to bring the spacecraft down and 210 00:08:45,450 --> 00:08:42,520 cause its demise sometime in the fall of 211 00:08:47,610 --> 00:08:45,460 2012 and so what we really we went on a 212 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:47,620 campaign to try to turn on our 213 00:08:51,650 --> 00:08:49,810 instrument of the repped instrument as 214 00:08:53,250 --> 00:08:51,660 early as we possibly could after launch 215 00:08:54,630 --> 00:08:53,260 in the normal 216 00:08:55,830 --> 00:08:54,640 floo of commissioning that I'm only 217 00:08:58,590 --> 00:08:55,840 talked about we would have turned on 218 00:09:01,350 --> 00:08:58,600 about 34 days after launch we really 219 00:09:04,050 --> 00:09:01,360 were able to turn on two days after 220 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:04,060 launch and we were very fortunate that 221 00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:05,770 we did because if we go to the next 222 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:08,590 slide what we saw when we first turned 223 00:09:13,980 --> 00:09:12,010 on was that the belt had the two belt 224 00:09:16,290 --> 00:09:13,990 structure as we expected and then as 225 00:09:17,970 --> 00:09:16,300 time marched on we saw this emergence of 226 00:09:20,940 --> 00:09:17,980 three belts and the lower panel really 227 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:20,950 shows here the kind of collapse of all 228 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:22,990 the orbits onto a single Meridiana plane 229 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:26,140 and as you watch this you can see that 230 00:09:30,750 --> 00:09:28,450 this third belt emerges pretty clearly 231 00:09:33,390 --> 00:09:30,760 and then like a knife-edge the entire 232 00:09:35,220 --> 00:09:33,400 outer Van Allen belt is ripped away and 233 00:09:37,110 --> 00:09:35,230 then there's a new emergence of this and 234 00:09:39,870 --> 00:09:37,120 I'll just ask that we go through this 235 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:39,880 again so you can see that sequence again 236 00:09:43,770 --> 00:09:42,010 here we are seeing the single storage 237 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:43,780 ring feature as we call it and then we 238 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:46,570 see the entire outer belt outside that 239 00:09:51,330 --> 00:09:48,310 storage ring undergoing all kinds of 240 00:09:52,770 --> 00:09:51,340 dynamics but these this storage ring or 241 00:09:55,290 --> 00:09:52,780 Taurus is just there for very 242 00:09:57,210 --> 00:09:55,300 persistently and unchanging for the 243 00:09:58,890 --> 00:09:57,220 better part of four weeks we first 244 00:10:00,930 --> 00:09:58,900 foolishly thought the instruments we're 245 00:10:02,820 --> 00:10:00,940 not working correctly but we quickly 246 00:10:04,740 --> 00:10:02,830 realized that that couldn't be true it 247 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:04,750 had to be a real phenomenon we've been 248 00:10:10,740 --> 00:10:06,730 studying that now if I could have the 249 00:10:13,230 --> 00:10:10,750 next slide I just like to show you then 250 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:13,240 an animation that's been put together by 251 00:10:17,670 --> 00:10:15,610 scientists here at the Applied Physics 252 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:17,680 Laboratory that in which we've 253 00:11:30,489 --> 00:10:21,370 assimilated the data into the models and 254 00:11:34,329 --> 00:11:32,139 many mysteries still in the radiation 255 00:11:36,999 --> 00:11:34,339 belts is because they are home to a host 256 00:11:39,479 --> 00:11:37,009 of fundamental physics processes that 257 00:11:43,059 --> 00:11:39,489 are occurring throughout our universe 258 00:11:44,529 --> 00:11:43,069 the same physics that causes the 259 00:11:46,959 --> 00:11:44,539 particles to be accelerated in the 260 00:11:49,629 --> 00:11:46,969 Earth's radiation belts also causes 261 00:11:51,999 --> 00:11:49,639 radiation belts to occur at all of the 262 00:11:52,869 --> 00:11:52,009 large magnetized planets in our solar 263 00:11:55,239 --> 00:11:52,879 system 264 00:11:57,069 --> 00:11:55,249 so Neptune Jupiter Saturn Uranus all 265 00:12:00,009 --> 00:11:57,079 have radiation belt structures very 266 00:12:02,979 --> 00:12:00,019 similar to the earth even outside our 267 00:12:05,439 --> 00:12:02,989 solar system particle acceleration is 268 00:12:08,769 --> 00:12:05,449 also causing distant nebulae to glow in 269 00:12:10,209 --> 00:12:08,779 x-rays so as we say you know it's just 270 00:12:11,769 --> 00:12:10,219 rocket science it's just particle 271 00:12:14,439 --> 00:12:11,779 acceleration it's the same thing that's 272 00:12:16,869 --> 00:12:14,449 happening here is is happening 273 00:12:19,209 --> 00:12:16,879 everywhere and we're very lucky that we 274 00:12:21,129 --> 00:12:19,219 have this region of interest just a few 275 00:12:22,689 --> 00:12:21,139 thousand kilometers above our head it's 276 00:12:25,499 --> 00:12:22,699 really rather like having your very own 277 00:12:29,259 --> 00:12:25,509 particle accelerator in the backyard 278 00:12:31,989 --> 00:12:29,269 what also for me makes this event even 279 00:12:36,219 --> 00:12:31,999 more interesting is as mona spoke of 280 00:12:38,649 --> 00:12:36,229 initially the Sun drove that large storm 281 00:12:41,739 --> 00:12:38,659 that actually caused the beautiful event 282 00:12:45,249 --> 00:12:41,749 to be kicked off and as we show here 283 00:12:47,469 --> 00:12:45,259 SDO also can't cook the event that it 284 00:12:49,749 --> 00:12:47,479 actually caused the annihilation of the 285 00:12:51,849 --> 00:12:49,759 radiation belt so that knife edge that 286 00:12:54,609 --> 00:12:51,859 Dan showed where you see the outer belt 287 00:12:58,449 --> 00:12:54,619 almost disappearing was also driven by 288 00:13:00,909 --> 00:12:58,459 our star the Sun always the star of the 289 00:13:03,279 --> 00:13:00,919 show so the the Sun give a fan the Sun 290 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:03,289 taketh away and one of the central 291 00:13:08,439 --> 00:13:05,569 themes of the radiation belt storm 292 00:13:10,599 --> 00:13:08,449 probes mission is to really see why the 293 00:13:12,669 --> 00:13:10,609 radiation belts respond in such 294 00:13:15,429 --> 00:13:12,679 different ways to seemingly similar 295 00:13:17,529 --> 00:13:15,439 events coming from the Sun and the only 296 00:13:20,529 --> 00:13:17,539 way that we can really do that is to 297 00:13:23,619 --> 00:13:20,539 really take a system approach and look 298 00:13:26,799 --> 00:13:23,629 at the everything coming from the Sun - 299 00:13:29,049 --> 00:13:26,809 to our earth space and so this animation 300 00:13:30,639 --> 00:13:29,059 shows nicely how the radiation belt 301 00:13:33,279 --> 00:13:30,649 storm probes or the Van Allen probes 302 00:13:35,529 --> 00:13:33,289 have now taken their place in the 303 00:13:38,139 --> 00:13:35,539 heliophysics Observatory so you're 304 00:13:41,529 --> 00:13:38,149 seeing a fleet of spacecraft in all the 305 00:13:42,549 --> 00:13:41,539 key locations between the Sun and all 306 00:13:44,290 --> 00:13:42,559 the way to earth 307 00:13:47,260 --> 00:13:44,300 what makes the radiation 308 00:13:49,540 --> 00:13:47,270 storm probes so important is that they 309 00:13:51,970 --> 00:13:49,550 really have taken their place here they 310 00:13:54,010 --> 00:13:51,980 are designed and developed to go after 311 00:13:56,110 --> 00:13:54,020 the physics that is occurring in the 312 00:13:59,410 --> 00:13:56,120 radiation belts so they will really be 313 00:14:03,100 --> 00:13:59,420 providing those much-needed observations 314 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:03,110 so we can decide what's really happening 315 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:07,490 in the radiation belts also on board the 316 00:14:11,860 --> 00:14:10,250 spacecraft we have a full complement of 317 00:14:13,870 --> 00:14:11,870 instruments so in addition to the 318 00:14:16,150 --> 00:14:13,880 highest quality particle measurements 319 00:14:18,550 --> 00:14:16,160 that have ever been made that Dan has 320 00:14:21,580 --> 00:14:18,560 already showed we also have filled some 321 00:14:24,100 --> 00:14:21,590 waves instruments so we're now going to 322 00:14:26,350 --> 00:14:24,110 study all of the wave structures that 323 00:14:29,170 --> 00:14:26,360 are maybe responsible for causing that 324 00:14:31,150 --> 00:14:29,180 third belt and eroding that center part 325 00:14:33,670 --> 00:14:31,160 in the outer radiation belt which we've 326 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:33,680 termed the second slot region so we're 327 00:14:38,050 --> 00:14:35,810 very you know looking forward to these 328 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:38,060 great new capabilities we have not only 329 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:40,490 providing discoveries but also providing 330 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:42,890 explanation as to why these phenomena 331 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:46,130 are occurring and also as Mona said the 332 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:49,610 the practical nature of the the effect 333 00:14:55,030 --> 00:14:52,850 here at Earth they are causing dramatic 334 00:14:58,030 --> 00:14:55,040 changes in our near-earth space which 335 00:14:59,680 --> 00:14:58,040 have effects on life in society we live 336 00:15:01,980 --> 00:14:59,690 and work in the radiation belts and all 337 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:01,990 our technology is based there so 338 00:15:06,990 --> 00:15:04,010 understanding how the radiation belts 339 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:07,000 change is extremely critical for our 340 00:15:12,190 --> 00:15:10,250 technological infrastructure so in 341 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:12,200 addition to the the wonderful science 342 00:15:17,470 --> 00:15:14,570 that we we have with the storm probes 343 00:15:19,870 --> 00:15:17,480 we're also sending down real-time data 344 00:15:21,670 --> 00:15:19,880 real-time space weather data that comes 345 00:15:24,850 --> 00:15:21,680 down and is captured through a network 346 00:15:27,610 --> 00:15:24,860 of ground stations and then is available 347 00:15:29,470 --> 00:15:27,620 within about 30 minutes on the web and 348 00:15:31,660 --> 00:15:29,480 obviously scientists are very excited 349 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:31,670 about these raw data but we understand 350 00:15:36,310 --> 00:15:33,440 that they're not always accessible to 351 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:36,320 the general public so we actually feed 352 00:15:41,110 --> 00:15:38,930 them into two models one really good 353 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:41,120 example is the dream model which is run 354 00:15:46,420 --> 00:15:43,210 out of Los Alamos National Laboratory 355 00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:46,430 and we are in the process now of feeding 356 00:15:50,770 --> 00:15:48,710 our real-time data into this model and 357 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:50,780 within the next three months we will be 358 00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:53,330 delivering that to the NOAA Space 359 00:15:56,850 --> 00:15:55,520 Weather Prediction Center where they'll 360 00:15:59,070 --> 00:15:56,860 be using it 361 00:16:02,100 --> 00:15:59,080 to better forecast space weather and 362 00:16:04,110 --> 00:16:02,110 that's a good segue to pass on to to Joe 363 00:16:05,460 --> 00:16:04,120 countries from the Space Weather 364 00:16:07,730 --> 00:16:05,470 Prediction Center to tell us all about 365 00:16:09,900 --> 00:16:07,740 space weather Thank You Nikki 366 00:16:12,270 --> 00:16:09,910 discoveries from missions such as the 367 00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:12,280 Van Allen probes are really the 368 00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:14,230 wellspring from which improvements to 369 00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:16,360 operational space weather services come 370 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:19,030 and let me take you into the the 371 00:16:22,470 --> 00:16:20,650 forecast office of the Space Weather 372 00:16:24,390 --> 00:16:22,480 Prediction Center here in a minute and 373 00:16:26,610 --> 00:16:24,400 show you what it's like to do 374 00:16:29,070 --> 00:16:26,620 operational space weather forecasting 375 00:16:30,570 --> 00:16:29,080 this is the forecast office from NOAA's 376 00:16:33,210 --> 00:16:30,580 Space Weather Prediction Center we 377 00:16:35,610 --> 00:16:33,220 operate 24 hours a day seven days a week 378 00:16:37,860 --> 00:16:35,620 we monitor space weather and we make the 379 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:37,870 predictions that people want to to plan 380 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:40,930 from we coordinate our activities with 381 00:16:44,550 --> 00:16:42,370 the US Air Force they have their own 382 00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:44,560 Center at Offutt Air Force Base and 383 00:16:48,690 --> 00:16:47,110 we're the world warning agency for 14 384 00:16:51,210 --> 00:16:48,700 countries the international space 385 00:16:54,060 --> 00:16:51,220 environment service is focused at 386 00:16:57,030 --> 00:16:54,070 Boulder among the data that are used 387 00:17:00,120 --> 00:16:57,040 there along with the goes data from from 388 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:00,130 NOAA also you'll see NASA data from SDO 389 00:17:06,750 --> 00:17:04,090 from ace from stereo from Soho and also 390 00:17:08,940 --> 00:17:06,760 those data feed into models here is the 391 00:17:12,090 --> 00:17:08,950 Enlil model from the solar wind that we 392 00:17:13,980 --> 00:17:12,100 get and it enables the forecasters to 393 00:17:16,350 --> 00:17:13,990 make the best assessment of the current 394 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:16,360 conditions and allows them to give good 395 00:17:21,060 --> 00:17:18,310 predictions of the conditions in the 396 00:17:24,360 --> 00:17:21,070 near future in the next slide I'll show 397 00:17:27,090 --> 00:17:24,370 you how one of the ways at which we get 398 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:27,100 the word out from from in real time as 399 00:17:32,490 --> 00:17:29,370 conditions occur this is a graph showing 400 00:17:35,070 --> 00:17:32,500 in white the progress of the current 401 00:17:37,230 --> 00:17:35,080 solar cycle and in blue the number of 402 00:17:39,630 --> 00:17:37,240 subscribers to our email product 403 00:17:43,470 --> 00:17:39,640 subscription service now yet numbers 404 00:17:47,220 --> 00:17:43,480 more than 32,000 subscribers of those 405 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:47,230 subscribers about 9500 characterized 406 00:17:51,030 --> 00:17:49,210 themselves as having something to do 407 00:17:53,310 --> 00:17:51,040 with satellites either they are 408 00:17:56,010 --> 00:17:53,320 designers they're engineers they're 409 00:17:57,930 --> 00:17:56,020 manufacturers they're operators so 410 00:18:00,210 --> 00:17:57,940 clearly the satellite community is a 411 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:00,220 very important community for us to serve 412 00:18:05,820 --> 00:18:03,010 with the best real-time space weather 413 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:05,830 information that we can garner now to 414 00:18:09,570 --> 00:18:07,510 focus for a minute on the satellite 415 00:18:10,410 --> 00:18:09,580 community this probably comes as no 416 00:18:13,110 --> 00:18:10,420 surprise to any 417 00:18:15,210 --> 00:18:13,120 but in the next slide here's a chart 418 00:18:19,410 --> 00:18:15,220 from the satellite Industry Association 419 00:18:22,730 --> 00:18:19,420 which shows the revenues over about the 420 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:22,740 last five years this goes back to 2006 421 00:18:27,870 --> 00:18:25,930 2011 is the last full year for which the 422 00:18:30,330 --> 00:18:27,880 data are available and what you can see 423 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:30,340 without looking too hard is that its 424 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:33,730 growth 9% about on average over the last 425 00:18:39,630 --> 00:18:36,610 five years but also the last year is 426 00:18:41,970 --> 00:18:39,640 about 177 billion dollars worth of 427 00:18:44,070 --> 00:18:41,980 revenues further underscoring the fact 428 00:18:46,770 --> 00:18:44,080 that this is a very important customer 429 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:46,780 base that needs the best space weather 430 00:18:52,110 --> 00:18:49,090 information they can get and finally 431 00:18:54,630 --> 00:18:52,120 just to maybe wrap it up what is it 432 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:54,640 about the space environment and space 433 00:18:58,860 --> 00:18:56,650 weather that causes disruptions to 434 00:19:01,470 --> 00:18:58,870 satellites and this really goes to the 435 00:19:04,140 --> 00:19:01,480 activities that the Van Allen probes are 436 00:19:06,390 --> 00:19:04,150 designed to do it's charged particles 437 00:19:08,490 --> 00:19:06,400 and on the next slide there's an 438 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:08,500 illustration of the kinds of things that 439 00:19:14,310 --> 00:19:11,530 can happen to satellites by virtue of 440 00:19:16,350 --> 00:19:14,320 say low energy electrons which can do 441 00:19:18,180 --> 00:19:16,360 surface charging or high energy 442 00:19:20,850 --> 00:19:18,190 electrons which can embed themselves 443 00:19:24,390 --> 00:19:20,860 within the spacecraft and cause deep 444 00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:24,400 dielectric charging or it can be protons 445 00:19:31,260 --> 00:19:27,520 or galactic cosmic rays that cause 446 00:19:33,870 --> 00:19:31,270 single event upsets and in mass the lot 447 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:33,880 of them cause radiation damage to the 448 00:19:38,430 --> 00:19:36,370 solar panels and other systems so it's 449 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:38,440 very very important for the satellite 450 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:40,930 community to have the best the most 451 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:43,770 timely information that they can get and 452 00:19:49,650 --> 00:19:47,170 that's the purpose of this activity and 453 00:19:52,290 --> 00:19:49,660 I'm very happy to be here to participate 454 00:19:54,810 --> 00:19:52,300 in this so I'll turn it back over to Dan 455 00:19:57,780 --> 00:19:54,820 for some concluding remarks thank you 456 00:20:00,540 --> 00:19:57,790 very much Joe it's a delight to be able 457 00:20:02,790 --> 00:20:00,550 to tell you that we turned on our 458 00:20:05,250 --> 00:20:02,800 instruments and we saw fascinating new 459 00:20:08,790 --> 00:20:05,260 phenomena in the Earth's vicinity driven 460 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:08,800 by solar disturbances it's also delight 461 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:10,510 to be able to tell you that we are 462 00:20:18,210 --> 00:20:15,130 really able to do so much research with 463 00:20:19,830 --> 00:20:18,220 our basic research Astrophysical 464 00:20:22,050 --> 00:20:19,840 research if you say it would say in our 465 00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:22,060 local neighborhood but it's wonderful to 466 00:20:25,950 --> 00:20:23,710 be part of a field 467 00:20:29,580 --> 00:20:25,960 where that research also has good 468 00:20:32,190 --> 00:20:29,590 practical applicability and we know that 469 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:32,200 the things that we're measuring now have 470 00:20:36,049 --> 00:20:33,970 the kind of relevance to society that 471 00:20:38,850 --> 00:20:36,059 Jo's spoken about so we're delighted to 472 00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:38,860 try to answer any questions you may have 473 00:20:45,090 --> 00:20:41,500 today and to talk about this duality in 474 00:20:47,669 --> 00:20:45,100 our field great basic research and also 475 00:20:49,250 --> 00:20:47,679 great applicability of societal needs 476 00:20:51,450 --> 00:20:49,260 thank you very much 477 00:20:53,490 --> 00:20:51,460 okay thank you Dan and thank you to all 478 00:20:56,279 --> 00:20:53,500 the panelists we'll take questions now 479 00:20:57,750 --> 00:20:56,289 from media in the audience on the phone 480 00:21:00,210 --> 00:20:57,760 lines and then also from you all 481 00:21:02,639 --> 00:21:00,220 watching online as a reminder you can 482 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:02,649 ask a question via Twitter by just using 483 00:21:08,850 --> 00:21:07,090 this hashtag ask NASA if you have a 484 00:21:11,159 --> 00:21:08,860 question in the audience please get to 485 00:21:13,409 --> 00:21:11,169 one of the people with microphones over 486 00:21:15,570 --> 00:21:13,419 here we did receive a question or two 487 00:21:16,830 --> 00:21:15,580 before their briefing so let me just 488 00:21:19,529 --> 00:21:16,840 throw that out to begin with 489 00:21:21,450 --> 00:21:19,539 first question what has this third Van 490 00:21:24,810 --> 00:21:21,460 Allen belt been doing since you first 491 00:21:27,690 --> 00:21:24,820 observed it last year well I can try to 492 00:21:32,430 --> 00:21:27,700 answer that question a bit we saw this 493 00:21:34,350 --> 00:21:32,440 phenomenon for about four weeks then as 494 00:21:36,419 --> 00:21:34,360 the data showed and as Nikki remarked on 495 00:21:39,269 --> 00:21:36,429 as well it was cut off like a knife edge 496 00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:39,279 it disappeared the rebound 497 00:21:42,539 --> 00:21:40,809 there was a rebuilding of the Van Allen 498 00:21:45,539 --> 00:21:42,549 belts also in a very abrupt fashion on 499 00:21:46,799 --> 00:21:45,549 about the 9th or 10th of October but 500 00:21:48,930 --> 00:21:46,809 since that time we've not seen a 501 00:21:51,810 --> 00:21:48,940 recurrence of the third belt we're 502 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:51,820 watching with eagle eyes to see if there 503 00:21:55,620 --> 00:21:54,250 is a resurgence of this but so far in 504 00:21:59,100 --> 00:21:55,630 the last five months there really hasn't 505 00:22:00,659 --> 00:21:59,110 been a recurrence of that ok and I guess 506 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:00,669 we have some questions already via 507 00:22:07,460 --> 00:22:04,330 Twitter yes I read that Sierra's saw a 508 00:22:11,250 --> 00:22:07,470 third ring in 1990 and solar activity in 509 00:22:13,350 --> 00:22:11,260 1998 made a brief third ring is this 510 00:22:17,279 --> 00:22:13,360 really the first time we've seen a third 511 00:22:20,460 --> 00:22:17,289 ring the crest was the mission that was 512 00:22:23,399 --> 00:22:20,470 mentioned back in 1991 and that showed a 513 00:22:25,139 --> 00:22:23,409 new population of particles injected 514 00:22:27,899 --> 00:22:25,149 into much deeper into the magnetosphere 515 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:27,909 into more or less the inner zone and 516 00:22:32,159 --> 00:22:30,250 slot region this is the first time that 517 00:22:34,919 --> 00:22:32,169 reported in the literature that one has 518 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:34,929 really seen embedded in this outer part 519 00:22:39,860 --> 00:22:35,610 of 520 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:39,870 phenomenon and so we believe that this 521 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:42,210 is a fundamentally different than what's 522 00:22:48,919 --> 00:22:44,540 been reported in previous kind of 523 00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:48,929 observations back in the past okay it's 524 00:22:53,539 --> 00:22:50,070 another question from Twitter 525 00:22:55,940 --> 00:22:53,549 yes which belt was actually new was the 526 00:22:58,190 --> 00:22:55,950 original outer belt did it shrink back 527 00:23:01,400 --> 00:22:58,200 into a storage ring and then a new belt 528 00:23:03,289 --> 00:23:01,410 form outside of that well let me again 529 00:23:05,390 --> 00:23:03,299 try we're still trying to piece together 530 00:23:09,409 --> 00:23:05,400 exactly what happened but yes it seems 531 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:09,419 as though the entire outer Van Allen 532 00:23:13,039 --> 00:23:11,490 belt acceleration event occurred and 533 00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:13,049 then part of it was sort of ripped away 534 00:23:18,590 --> 00:23:15,630 was was torn away from the outermost 535 00:23:21,830 --> 00:23:18,600 part leaving the storage ring and that's 536 00:23:23,539 --> 00:23:21,840 what persisted so immune apparently to 537 00:23:26,299 --> 00:23:23,549 external forcing for the next four weeks 538 00:23:29,150 --> 00:23:26,309 and so what we were really seeing was 539 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:29,160 that that the storage ring was the 540 00:23:34,159 --> 00:23:32,130 remnant of an earlier acceleration event 541 00:23:37,610 --> 00:23:34,169 due to the kind of solar drivers that 542 00:23:41,090 --> 00:23:37,620 Mona Nikki talked about let me add to 543 00:23:43,909 --> 00:23:41,100 that also if I may this is still early 544 00:23:46,039 --> 00:23:43,919 days and so we don't completely 545 00:23:48,380 --> 00:23:46,049 understand this phenomena that we're 546 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:48,390 seeing we're modeling it now we're 547 00:23:52,310 --> 00:23:50,490 trying to develop the understanding 548 00:23:54,830 --> 00:23:52,320 we're looking as Nikki mentioned earlier 549 00:23:57,230 --> 00:23:54,840 at the wave instruments because they are 550 00:24:00,169 --> 00:23:57,240 likely one of the drivers the waves that 551 00:24:01,820 --> 00:24:00,179 are generated and it's all driven by the 552 00:24:04,460 --> 00:24:01,830 Sun but then there are internal waves 553 00:24:06,260 --> 00:24:04,470 that are generated as well where we're 554 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:06,270 trying to piece this all together right 555 00:24:12,740 --> 00:24:09,890 now and stay tuned we will know more 556 00:24:15,890 --> 00:24:12,750 that's really what's exciting about new 557 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:15,900 observations is that when you know 558 00:24:18,860 --> 00:24:17,130 you've done something right 559 00:24:20,180 --> 00:24:18,870 observational II when theoreticians say 560 00:24:21,530 --> 00:24:20,190 well that's that doesn't look right 561 00:24:24,409 --> 00:24:21,540 we've got to go back to the drawing 562 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:24,419 board here okay and one other question 563 00:24:28,549 --> 00:24:26,010 from Twitter before we go to the media a 564 00:24:31,010 --> 00:24:28,559 two-prong question what does the third 565 00:24:34,490 --> 00:24:31,020 ring mean for astronauts and satellites 566 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:34,500 and also what impact will it have if any 567 00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:38,970 on the earth Oh Joe take part of that 568 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:42,150 question yeah III think I think it 569 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:44,630 probably will have little impact on 570 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:47,490 astronauts and satellites given the 571 00:24:51,510 --> 00:24:48,970 characteristics but 572 00:24:52,799 --> 00:24:51,520 but I would hurry hurry up to say that 573 00:24:55,890 --> 00:24:52,809 you know there's still a lot that we 574 00:24:58,710 --> 00:24:55,900 don't know and and we can we can talk 575 00:25:00,899 --> 00:24:58,720 about space operations of today but also 576 00:25:04,289 --> 00:25:00,909 there's operations in the future that 577 00:25:05,970 --> 00:25:04,299 are planned so I think probably the the 578 00:25:08,820 --> 00:25:05,980 true answer to the question is still to 579 00:25:11,130 --> 00:25:08,830 be known and if you look if you remember 580 00:25:14,190 --> 00:25:11,140 the picture that I showed during my 581 00:25:16,980 --> 00:25:14,200 presentation the the International Space 582 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:16,990 Station is down below the interval this 583 00:25:23,460 --> 00:25:20,110 new ring is actually much further out 584 00:25:25,590 --> 00:25:23,470 than that it sits at about 12,000 miles 585 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:25,600 above the surface so it's much higher 586 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:28,330 than astronauts code now if we send 587 00:25:32,730 --> 00:25:30,490 another mission to the moon or to Mars 588 00:25:35,039 --> 00:25:32,740 then we would have to pass through the 589 00:25:36,690 --> 00:25:35,049 region but we've done that before too in 590 00:25:39,330 --> 00:25:36,700 the past with Apollo would pass through 591 00:25:40,980 --> 00:25:39,340 pretty quickly so and in but in 592 00:25:42,690 --> 00:25:40,990 realistic terms it's not going to affect 593 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:42,700 our astronauts certainly not on the 594 00:25:49,169 --> 00:25:47,890 space station the the regions that we're 595 00:25:51,740 --> 00:25:49,179 looking at with the third belt are 596 00:25:55,710 --> 00:25:51,750 magnetically connected to the the 597 00:25:58,350 --> 00:25:55,720 altitudes that the space station is is 598 00:26:00,330 --> 00:25:58,360 orbiting on so while there's no direct 599 00:26:02,039 --> 00:26:00,340 impact there are still going to be 600 00:26:04,770 --> 00:26:02,049 effects that are seen and I think that 601 00:26:06,570 --> 00:26:04,780 just understanding more about the outer 602 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:06,580 radiation belt its structure and its 603 00:26:12,180 --> 00:26:10,210 dynamics are very important for enabling 604 00:26:14,070 --> 00:26:12,190 us to have better models better 605 00:26:16,140 --> 00:26:14,080 prediction models do a better job of 606 00:26:18,330 --> 00:26:16,150 predicting the lifetime of spacecraft 607 00:26:21,299 --> 00:26:18,340 just by knowing that it's way more 608 00:26:23,340 --> 00:26:21,309 dynamic than we had even expected prior 609 00:26:25,140 --> 00:26:23,350 to the launch I'd like to jump in on 610 00:26:26,820 --> 00:26:25,150 this and just say too that we're 611 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:26,830 fortunate that nature performed an 612 00:26:32,010 --> 00:26:28,770 active experiment for us that really 613 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:32,020 gave us this very kind of discrete onset 614 00:26:36,870 --> 00:26:34,450 and then a very discrete end to this 615 00:26:38,970 --> 00:26:36,880 particular three built phenomenon and 616 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:38,980 this is going to teach us a lot about 617 00:26:44,250 --> 00:26:41,530 how effectively the magnetosphere can 618 00:26:46,230 --> 00:26:44,260 store and and maintain an electron 619 00:26:48,990 --> 00:26:46,240 population for extended periods of time 620 00:26:51,690 --> 00:26:49,000 and by doing that I think it's going to 621 00:26:54,470 --> 00:26:51,700 greatly and help us greatly increase our 622 00:26:56,370 --> 00:26:54,480 understanding of just how this complex 623 00:27:01,660 --> 00:26:56,380 accelerator that niki talked about 624 00:27:08,930 --> 00:27:04,850 total energy content of the three then 625 00:27:12,350 --> 00:27:08,940 two belts changed during the process let 626 00:27:15,169 --> 00:27:12,360 me first say that I want to emphasize 627 00:27:18,290 --> 00:27:15,179 what Mona said to which is that we're 628 00:27:19,580 --> 00:27:18,300 just studying these things now many of 629 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:19,590 the questions that are being asked are 630 00:27:24,350 --> 00:27:21,570 exactly in our minds and we're going to 631 00:27:27,470 --> 00:27:24,360 try to more quantitatively address those 632 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:27,480 so this is relatively early in the 633 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:30,090 mission we're trying to piece together 634 00:27:34,430 --> 00:27:32,490 what happened why did it happen and what 635 00:27:38,270 --> 00:27:34,440 are the implications for such things as 636 00:27:41,419 --> 00:27:38,280 total energy content okay our next 637 00:27:44,530 --> 00:27:41,429 question still from Twitter how did this 638 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:44,540 radiation belt go undetected for so long 639 00:27:50,330 --> 00:27:47,490 we've never had the capability and the 640 00:27:51,919 --> 00:27:50,340 outstanding technology that we have with 641 00:27:53,570 --> 00:27:51,929 the radiation belt storm probes the Van 642 00:27:56,030 --> 00:27:53,580 Allen probes I'm sorry 643 00:27:59,210 --> 00:27:56,040 you know we it is a mission that is 644 00:28:01,010 --> 00:27:59,220 designed to go after the dynamics and 645 00:28:02,990 --> 00:28:01,020 the structure of the radiation belts 646 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:03,000 we're carrying the right instruments and 647 00:28:06,290 --> 00:28:04,650 we're in the right orbit to be able to 648 00:28:07,910 --> 00:28:06,300 do that and I think the fact that we've 649 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:07,920 had such an amazing discovery 650 00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:10,410 within days of turning on the 651 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:13,710 instruments is really proving just how 652 00:28:18,860 --> 00:28:16,050 spectacular the science from the ven on 653 00:28:22,580 --> 00:28:18,870 the Van Allen probes will be I like to 654 00:28:24,140 --> 00:28:22,590 quote America's most notable philosopher 655 00:28:26,650 --> 00:28:24,150 Yogi Berra who said you can observe a 656 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:26,660 lot just by looking and I believe that 657 00:28:33,590 --> 00:28:30,210 when you open new eyes on the universe 658 00:28:35,060 --> 00:28:33,600 you invariably see new things and so I 659 00:28:38,450 --> 00:28:35,070 think that's what where we find 660 00:28:38,660 --> 00:28:38,460 ourselves now okay our next question 661 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:38,670 please 662 00:28:43,970 --> 00:28:41,490 question for Joe conscious what can 663 00:28:45,799 --> 00:28:43,980 operate errs and companies do in order 664 00:28:48,350 --> 00:28:45,809 to protect their satellites once they 665 00:28:50,930 --> 00:28:48,360 have the predictions well that's a good 666 00:28:53,450 --> 00:28:50,940 question because it's it depends a lot 667 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:53,460 on the particulars of the mission and 668 00:28:58,220 --> 00:28:55,530 what they're trying to do but I can give 669 00:29:00,410 --> 00:28:58,230 you an example from the past and in 2006 670 00:29:02,750 --> 00:29:00,420 the U Mets at the European 671 00:29:05,930 --> 00:29:02,760 meteorological satellite organization 672 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:05,940 launched a satellite called MIT op and 673 00:29:12,409 --> 00:29:09,210 met hophead on board to high-rate 674 00:29:13,910 --> 00:29:12,419 transmitters to send down broadcast a 675 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:13,920 Direct TV like image 676 00:29:17,770 --> 00:29:15,690 three of the weather and they really 677 00:29:20,450 --> 00:29:17,780 wanted to do it over Northern Europe 678 00:29:22,660 --> 00:29:20,460 surely after the launch they found that 679 00:29:25,490 --> 00:29:22,670 one of their transmitters quickly failed 680 00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:25,500 unfortunately they had a backup onboard 681 00:29:29,030 --> 00:29:27,150 but before they turned the backup on 682 00:29:31,250 --> 00:29:29,040 they wanted to figure out what the 683 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:31,260 problem was in terms of the environment 684 00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:34,530 or exactly what so they went back to the 685 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:36,390 engineering lab and they found out that 686 00:29:41,510 --> 00:29:38,130 this particular piece of equipment had a 687 00:29:43,790 --> 00:29:41,520 susceptibility to charge particles that 688 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:43,800 had a prevalence in the auroral zone and 689 00:29:49,130 --> 00:29:47,130 in the South Atlantic anomaly so when 690 00:29:51,650 --> 00:29:49,140 they turned the backup transmitter on 691 00:29:54,890 --> 00:29:51,660 they then organized or created a 692 00:29:56,900 --> 00:29:54,900 procedure through which they turn it off 693 00:29:58,940 --> 00:29:56,910 as it flies through the auroral zones 694 00:30:01,190 --> 00:29:58,950 and they also turn it off when it flies 695 00:30:02,510 --> 00:30:01,200 through the South Atlantic anomaly but 696 00:30:04,190 --> 00:30:02,520 then they turn it on the rest of the 697 00:30:06,890 --> 00:30:04,200 time and in particular they're able to 698 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:06,900 capture the the weather imagery from 699 00:30:11,810 --> 00:30:09,450 from Europe which at times is right on 700 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:11,820 the edge between the auroral zone and in 701 00:30:18,350 --> 00:30:14,970 the safe places so depending on on the 702 00:30:20,570 --> 00:30:18,360 kinds of activities and the the 703 00:30:24,110 --> 00:30:20,580 particulars of the spacecraft there are 704 00:30:26,870 --> 00:30:24,120 things that can be done to respond to 705 00:30:28,670 --> 00:30:26,880 the current state of the space weather I 706 00:30:30,860 --> 00:30:28,680 don't want to say that every satellite 707 00:30:32,690 --> 00:30:30,870 works like this there's there's a little 708 00:30:35,030 --> 00:30:32,700 bit of the Three Little Pigs philosophy 709 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:35,040 and in in building satellites you can 710 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:36,690 build your satellite out of bricks and 711 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:38,310 you don't have to worry about anything 712 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:40,770 well that can be costly and heavy and 713 00:30:43,790 --> 00:30:41,970 maybe you wouldn't be able to get the 714 00:30:47,890 --> 00:30:43,800 payload that you'd want it every point 715 00:30:50,690 --> 00:30:47,900 so to then go to the to the less less 716 00:30:52,430 --> 00:30:50,700 robust state you may have to drive it a 717 00:30:54,500 --> 00:30:52,440 little bit and and many satellite 718 00:30:57,110 --> 00:30:54,510 operators will do that they will they 719 00:30:59,120 --> 00:30:57,120 will reschedule command sequences they 720 00:31:02,180 --> 00:30:59,130 will do the things that are at their 721 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:02,190 disposal to account for harsh radiation 722 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:04,710 conditions that can occur from time to 723 00:31:11,990 --> 00:31:08,690 time okay our next question please 724 00:31:13,940 --> 00:31:12,000 dr. Baker could you briefly describe any 725 00:31:16,190 --> 00:31:13,950 innovations that improved the 726 00:31:19,930 --> 00:31:16,200 sensitivity and capability of the repped 727 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:19,940 device yes we tried to build with 728 00:31:27,210 --> 00:31:22,450 detectors that were 729 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:27,220 more stable and more sensitive to charge 730 00:31:31,230 --> 00:31:29,530 deposition from the detected particles 731 00:31:33,260 --> 00:31:31,240 we tried to build much faster 732 00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:33,270 electronics so we could avoid 733 00:31:38,910 --> 00:31:37,030 traditional problems of pile up and dead 734 00:31:40,860 --> 00:31:38,920 time and other such effects but we 735 00:31:42,390 --> 00:31:40,870 really were primarily focused on being 736 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:42,400 able to do a better job of very 737 00:31:48,810 --> 00:31:47,050 resolving to a high precision the energy 738 00:31:51,150 --> 00:31:48,820 spectra at these higher energies many 739 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:51,160 previous measurements have sort of just 740 00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:53,050 made very broad brush kind of 741 00:31:56,010 --> 00:31:54,670 measurements at the higher energies and 742 00:31:57,810 --> 00:31:56,020 without the kind of energy resolution 743 00:31:59,310 --> 00:31:57,820 that we were able to achieve with the 744 00:32:01,980 --> 00:31:59,320 repped instrument I think we would have 745 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:01,990 again probably sort of smushed all this 746 00:32:05,610 --> 00:32:03,490 out and we wouldn't have really seen so 747 00:32:08,750 --> 00:32:05,620 clearly at all that we had these kind of 748 00:32:12,090 --> 00:32:08,760 distinct spatial and temporal features 749 00:32:14,340 --> 00:32:12,100 ok next question please are the collapse 750 00:32:16,590 --> 00:32:14,350 of the outer belt and its reenergize 751 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:16,600 ation connected with any external 752 00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:20,050 phenomena that you can identify yes I 753 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:21,910 think all of us in a way have addressed 754 00:32:28,410 --> 00:32:25,930 that but we see very clearly and maybe 755 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:28,420 more clearly than we ever imagined we 756 00:32:32,370 --> 00:32:29,890 could with the living with a star 757 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:32,380 program we're able to watch the ultimate 758 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:34,570 driver the Sun we can watch these things 759 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:35,770 propagate through the interplanetary 760 00:32:40,170 --> 00:32:38,290 medium we can then observe directly the 761 00:32:42,810 --> 00:32:40,180 effects with the radiation belt storm 762 00:32:45,060 --> 00:32:42,820 probes the consequences in the radiation 763 00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:45,070 belts so we're in a Envia Bowl time here 764 00:32:48,870 --> 00:32:47,350 where we can really watch cause and 765 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:48,880 effect play out before our eyes 766 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:52,570 maybe moan our Nikki we have seen in the 767 00:32:57,030 --> 00:32:54,490 past when we've had coronal mass 768 00:32:59,760 --> 00:32:57,040 ejections we have seen a drainage and 769 00:33:01,260 --> 00:32:59,770 then a repopulation of the belts we've 770 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:01,270 seen that before that's pretty 771 00:33:05,730 --> 00:33:02,890 well-established what we haven't seen 772 00:33:08,190 --> 00:33:05,740 before is those from the original 773 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:08,200 particles in the outer belt coming in 774 00:33:12,180 --> 00:33:10,450 and forming this storage ring or this at 775 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:12,190 this extra area and then lasting for a 776 00:33:18,210 --> 00:33:14,530 month that we've never seen before but 777 00:33:20,730 --> 00:33:18,220 we pretty well understand at least at 778 00:33:23,190 --> 00:33:20,740 some level the the process that that 779 00:33:25,380 --> 00:33:23,200 happens to drain the belts originally 780 00:33:27,930 --> 00:33:25,390 and then refill them but the fact that 781 00:33:29,850 --> 00:33:27,940 very similar solar drivers can have such 782 00:33:33,540 --> 00:33:29,860 a different effect on the radiation 783 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:33,550 belts is is really the central focus of 784 00:33:36,419 --> 00:33:35,650 the of the Van Allen probes just you 785 00:33:38,759 --> 00:33:36,429 know sometimes they 786 00:33:40,590 --> 00:33:38,769 it does bring up the radiation belts and 787 00:33:43,230 --> 00:33:40,600 other times it just annihilates them as 788 00:33:45,060 --> 00:33:43,240 you saw in the plots that the Dan hat 789 00:33:47,279 --> 00:33:45,070 and I think that you know now we've got 790 00:33:49,919 --> 00:33:47,289 the ability to really bring those outer 791 00:33:52,529 --> 00:33:49,929 belts into focus as Dan said with new 792 00:33:55,019 --> 00:33:52,539 technology what we saw before is kind of 793 00:33:58,830 --> 00:33:55,029 a fuzzy image we're now seeing with 794 00:34:01,200 --> 00:33:58,840 great clarity I think the since we're 795 00:34:02,340 --> 00:34:01,210 talking in fairy tales the three little 796 00:34:05,159 --> 00:34:02,350 pigs while we can also talk about 797 00:34:08,549 --> 00:34:05,169 Goldilocks and having the sort of the 798 00:34:10,619 --> 00:34:08,559 right intense enough but not too intense 799 00:34:12,930 --> 00:34:10,629 so you don't completely eradicate the 800 00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:12,940 outer Van Allen belt but you eradicate a 801 00:34:17,099 --> 00:34:15,250 portion of it I don't think we'd really 802 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:17,109 suspected before that that there could 803 00:34:20,790 --> 00:34:19,210 be this kind of Goldilocks event that 804 00:34:24,059 --> 00:34:20,800 would lead to this storage ring 805 00:34:26,190 --> 00:34:24,069 phenomenon okay next question could the 806 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:26,200 probes themselves affect the radiation 807 00:34:33,780 --> 00:34:29,970 belts for instance by generating waves 808 00:34:36,990 --> 00:34:33,790 no the that the spacecraft themselves 809 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:37,000 will not affect the radiation belts only 810 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:40,690 very locally possibly but it's pretty 811 00:34:47,970 --> 00:34:42,010 unlikely that that would have much 812 00:34:54,629 --> 00:34:47,980 effect okay next question do intersect 813 00:35:00,630 --> 00:34:54,639 the Lagrangian points no our simplest 814 00:35:03,329 --> 00:35:00,640 answer so far okay I think that's all 815 00:35:04,620 --> 00:35:03,339 the questions we have online thank you 816 00:35:06,900 --> 00:35:04,630 for asking the questions thank you to 817 00:35:08,849 --> 00:35:06,910 our panelists and you can follow along 818 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:08,859 what's going on with the Van Alen 819 00:35:16,950 --> 00:35:15,250 provision online at WWF an Allen probes 820 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:16,960 and you can keep up with all the 821 00:35:21,390 --> 00:35:18,970 different NASA scientific findings 822 00:35:23,069 --> 00:35:21,400 through our social media channels we've 823 00:35:25,140 --> 00:35:23,079 got quite a wide array from them there's 824 00:35:27,809 --> 00:35:25,150 always something amazing happening at