GeoMagSphere Website
GeoMagSphere - A tool for particle backtracing in magnetosphere using both internal and external magnetic fields
Website latest update on April 29, 2024
Welcome to GeoMagSphere Website supported within the framework of space radiation environment activities of ASIF, i.e., ASI (Italian Space Agency) Supported Irradiation Facilities. The geomagsphere website was initially created in February 2012. In these pages you can find information about the Earth magnetic field and its interaction with the primary cosmic rays - both of galactic and solar origin - and the calculation of the rigidiy cutoff for cosmic rays, for protons, electrons, ions and antiparticles, up to the top of the atmosphere, as a function of solar activity.
The calculators will be made gradually available in order to estimate, for istance, the rigidity cutoff and the effect of cosmic rays in different periods and for different locations, on different charged cosmic ray particles. In the meanwhile a simple calculation of the vertical rigidity cutoff is available with both External Field Models T96 and TS05.
The calculators, based on the program that was developed by the INFN Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and IEP-SAS space physic (Slovakia) groups, reconstructs the particle trajectories inside the magnetosphere. In the present website version, we use IGRF-12 as Internal Magnetic Field Model of Earth, updated at 2015, using a linear approximation for the period 2015-2020. As External Magnetic Field Model, we combine both Tsyganenko 1996 and Tsyganenko and Sitnov 2005 models.
In the current version, the back-tracing code is 2016.1.0. With respect to version 2013.1.0, a new magnetopause, due to Shue et al. (1997), is used. Its size and shape depends on the solar activity, mainly through the solar wind ram pressure (Tsyganenko and Sitnov 2005). In the current version, an automatic switch between the two external field models in relation to the solar wind pressure is added.
This project is part of the activities involving also geomagsphere / HelMod / sr-niel / ASIF / AMS-02 Milano Bicocca (Italy) group and IEP-SAS space physic (Kosice, Slovakia).
Following ASIF implementation agreements 2017-22-HD.0 ASI-ENEA, 2017-15-HD.0 ASI-INFN, 2021-39-HH.0 ASI-ENEA and ASIF implementation agreement 2021-36-HH.0 involving ASI and Milano-Bicocca University, the ASIF and ASIF gateway websites, the sr-niel, helmod and geomagsphere websites are mantained within the space radiation environment activities of ASIF framework. Their websevers are handled by means of ASIF support center at the Physics Department of Milano-Bicocca University and are operated by virtual server in VDC (Virtual Data Center) environment at the Italian Space Agency, ASI.
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Amount of data as a function of the difference, regarding the component \(B_x\) of the magnetic field, between the model predictions (IGRF alone in red, IGRF+T89 in green and IGRF+TS05 in blue) and the Cluster satellite measurements during 2 - 7 November 2011 (left) and 5 - 9 March 2012 (right).
Example of solar proton analysis obtained from AMS-02 data using the geomagnetic cutoff due to both IGRF and TS05 magnetic field models [presented at ECRS-2016]
Secondary protons detected by AMS-02 during the Solar Event of Aug. 9th 2011. GSM projections YZ, XY and XZ of final positions (in unit of Earth radii) for particles detected during "polar" pass of 8:16-8:28 AM. Proton rigidity ~1GV. The shape of the Aurora are clearly seen. Preliminaty analysis done in collaboration with the University Of Hawaii at Manoa
Trapped Ions (from left to right Berillium, Carbon and Lithium) detected by AMS-02 close to the South Atlantic Anomaly. Earth North Pole projection. The shape of a closed drift shell is clearly seen. Preliminary analysis done in collaboration with the University Of Bologna