ARE ENERGETIC ELECTRONS IN THE SOLAR-WIND THE SOURCE OF THE OUTER RADIATION BELT

Using data from WIND, SAMPEX (Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Par ticle Explorer), and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) sensors onboard geostationary satellites, we investigate the correlation of e nergetic electrons in the 20-200 keV range in the solar wind and of hi gh speed solar wind streams with relativistic electrons in the magneto sphere to determine whether energetic electrons in the solar wind are the source of the outer relativistic electron radiation belt. Though t here is some correlation between energetic electron enhancements in th e solar wind and enhancements in the outer radiation belt, the phase s pace density of 20-200 keV electrons in the solar wind is not adequate to supply the outer radiation belt electrons. Although lower energy e lectrons in the solar wind could be a seed population of the outer rad iation belt, such lower energy electrons cannot achieve relativistic e nergies through the normal process of radial transport which conserves the first adiabatic invariant. Thus additional internal acceleration processes are required within the magnetosphere to produce the outer r adiation belt. High speed solar wind streams are well correlated with increased magnetic activity and with increased fluxes in the outer rad iation belt. The maximum correlation between the high speed streams an d the radiation belt flux occurs with an increasing time delay for hig her energies and and lower L values. We conclude that acceleration pro cesses within the magnetosphere which are well correlated with high sp eed solar wind streams are responsible for the outer radiation belt el ectrons.