ИСТИНА

The problem of the formation of the outer radiation belt continues to be one of the main unsolved problems of the physics of the Earth’s magnetosphere. We summarize the latest results of the study of the outer radiation belt (ORB) using the Van Allen Probes and Themis data, and identify the key problems present in the traditional approaches, namely: There is an inconsistency between the times provided by the popular “quasilinear” approach to the ORB description and the observed electron acceleration times. It is impossible to describe ORB dynamics during magnetospheric storms using “quasilinear” approach when the particle fluxes after storm restore to its pre-storm values, i.e. belong to the storms of the third type according to Reeves et al. (2003, doi:10.1029/2002GL016513) classification. These approaches also do not explain the Tverskaya’s relation which connects the position of the maximum of the relativistic flux formed after storm with the minimum value of the Dst/SYM-H variation, as well as the acceleration of relativistic electrons during magnetospheric substorms even in absence of storms. We discuss the alternative approach to the ORB formation based on the analysis of the properties of the storm time ring current, the development of substorms at low latitudes during storms, and the action of the adiabatic mechanism of electron acceleration, showing that the problem of the appearance of ORB electrons known as “satellite killers” might be connected to the large-scale magnetospheric dynamics