What is meant by radiation belt?

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. Planets like Jupiter and Saturn have similar belts. The Sun itself has only temporary radiation belts because it lacks a global dipole field.

Where is the radiation belt?

Located in the inner region of Earth’s magnetosphere, the radiation belts endanger satellites.

What is the belt around the Earth called?

By Elizabeth Howell published May 11, 2018. Two giant swaths of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, surrounding Earth were discovered in 1958. In 2012, observations from the Van Allen Probes showed that a third belt can sometimes appear.

What are the hazards of radiation belt?

deterioration of electronic circuits. damage of solar cells of spacecraft. adverse effect on living organisms.

What is the radiation belt around the Earth called?

Radiation Belts. The Earth’s radiation belts are just one part of the system called the magnetosphere. The radiation belts of the Earth are made up of electrons, protons and heavier atomic ions. These particles get trapped in the magnetic field of the Earth. The radiation belts, like the plasmasphere, are toroidally shaped.

What is the radiation belt around the Earth?

The Van Allen radiation belts are two layers of charged particles orbiting around Earth. They are kept in place by the planet’s magnetic field. The belts range from an altitude of 1,000 up to 60,000 kilometres above the Earth’s surface.

How long is the radiation belt around Earth?

The inner belt starts at an altitude of 600-1,600 km, according to different sources, and extends till 9,600-13,000 km. The range of the outer belt varies similarly: from 13,500-19,000 km to about 40,000 km. There is a gap between these belts called the slot region, which is generally devoid of energetic particles.

What is the inner radiation belt?

The inner radiation belt discovered by Van Allen is relatively compact, extending perhaps one Earth radius above the equator (1 RE = 6371 km or about 4000 miles). It consists of very energetic protons, a by-product of collisions by cosmic ray ions with atoms of the atmosphere.