Biography: Prof Shri Kanekal did his BE in Electrical Engineering in 1980 from the University of Bangalore, India and PhD in High energy experimental physics in 1988 from the University of Kanas, USA. Since then he has held several positions, such as – Visiting Fellow, Cornell University, Principal Scientist, Raytheon ITSS and Research Scientist, LASP, University of Colorado. Since 2010 he has been engaged as a Research Astrophysicist, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Centre, USA.
Dr. Kanekal’s research interests include, energization and loss processes of relativistic electrons in the Earth’s magnetosphere, solar energetic particles, Jovian electrons, magnetospheric energetic particle boundary dynamics, space Instrumentation, and space weather. He is currently involved in several NASA missions including the Van Allen Probes as well as two CubeSats, CeREs, and CusPP. As the PI of CeREs, he is responsible for the full mission, from concept to completion. For CeRes, he has designed and is currently building the MERiT (Miniaturized Electron Proton Telescope), a novel instrument comprising avalanche photo diodes and solid state detectors in a particle telescope configuration. The main science objective of CeREs is to measure electron microbursts with high time resolution.
Title: Recent advances in our understanding of the Earth’s Radiation Belts
Abstract: The Earth’s radiation belts were discovered by James van Allen more than fifty years ago and are a home to a plethora of fascinating processes ranging from low energy cold plasma to relativistic and ultra-relativistic particle populations. The traditional morphological picture of the radiation belts is that of an outer belt comprising mostly of electrons and an inner belt comprising mostly of protons with a so-called slot region separating the two. The inner belt is somewhat stable, while the outer radiation belt is very dynamical and shows variability in energetic electron populations over a wide range of energies, intensities, and time scales ranging from minutes, days and even years. This variability is due to dynamical processes of energization and loss with a variety of plasma waves playing an important and crucial role. The traditional picture has recently been challenged with new observations coming from the twin spacecraft mission, Van Allen Probes launched in the fall of 2012, which carries a comprehensive suite of instruments that measure particles and plasma waves. In more than 5 years of observations Van Allen Probes has advanced our understanding of fundamental questions regarding the acceleration and loss of outer Van Allen belt electron population. Van Allen Probes observations have also revealed new phenomena such as the “electron Storage ring” and the “impenetrable barrier”.
A new and exciting development is one of CubeSats and SmallSats that could bring a paradigm shift in the way space based observations are carried out. CubeSats enable multipoint observations, which are key to future advancement of space physics. I am currently leading a CubeSat mission; CeREs, the Compact Radiation belt Explorer, and actively involved in proposing new interplanetary and multi-CubeSat missions.
I will review electron dynamics in the Van Allen belts focusing on van Allen Probes observations and present exciting new ways of advancing radiation belt science with CubeSats and CubeSat constellations.