Charged Particle Cross-Field Transport due to Geometric Jumps of Adiabatic Invariant
Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 065202 – Published 8 August, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nsg2-scpg
Abstract
We examine energetic electron transport in Earth’s outer radiation belt, presenting a mechanism for rapid (nondiffusive) radial transport. This process relies on electron crossings of an asymmetric separatrix in slow-fast Hamiltonian system, occurring in Earth’s dayside magnetosphere due to interactions with the interplanetary magnetic field. The resulting asymmetry quickly destroys adiabatic invariant through geometric jumps, driving exponential phase-space mixing and enhancing radial transport of electrons during geomagnetically quiet conditions.