Numerical simulation of the formation of artificial radiation belt caused by high altitude nuclear detonation

Abstract

According to the previous theory of the motion of charged particles in the Earths magnetic field， we derive the spatial region to which energetic particles around the Earth can extend. Using an empirical model for radiative debris produced by the high altitude nuclear detonation （HAND），we investigate the primary region where HAND-induced artificial radiation belt can form.Finally，in terms of the fission property of HAND and the characteristic features of energetic electron distributions in the natural belts，the electron flux within the artificial radiation belt is calculated and the preliminary study of its dependences on explosion latitude，altitude，and equivalence are carried out quantitatively. The numerical results show that，under certain circumstances，the HAND with 0.1—1 Mt TNT explosion equivalence can be expected to produce an artificial radiation belt near the Earth with the flux 3—4 orders of magnitude higher than the natural ones. The central location of the artificial belt largely relies on the magnetic latitude where the detonation takes place while the thickness and electron flux of the artificial radiation belt are affected by the explosion altitude and equivalence.