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Journal Highlights - August 2006

The atmospheric implications of radiation belt remediation
C. J. Rodger, M. A. Clilverd, Th. Ulich, P. T. Verronen, E. Turunen, N. R. Thomson
Annales Geophysicae (2006) 24: 2025 - 2041


Link to article | Note: journalists can obtain a pdf of the article from the Press Office

A proposed US system to protect satellites from solar storms or high-altitude nuclear detonations would cause worldwide radio communications blackouts, according to new research by a group of scientists from New Zealand, Finland and the UK.
If activated, the envisaged “radiation belt remediation” system would significantly alter the upper atmosphere in the short term, seriously disrupting high frequency (HF) radio wave transmissions and GPS navigation around the globe, says the group's lead researcher, Dr Craig Rodger of the University of Otago Physics Department.

The remediation system aims to protect hundreds of low earth-orbiting satellites from having their onboard electronics ruined by charged particles in unusually intense radiation belts “pumped up” by high-altitude nuclear explosions or powerful solar storms, says Dr Rodger. The approach, which is being considered by the US Air Force and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, involves using very low frequency radio waves to flush particles from belts and dump them into the upper atmosphere over either one or several days.

“We've calculated that Earth's upper atmosphere would be dramatically affected by such a system, causing unusually intense HF blackouts around most of the world,” he says.

“Airplane pilots and ships would lose radio contact and some Pacific Island nations could be isolated for as long as six to seven days, depending on the system's design and how it was operated.” "GPS would likely also suffer large-scale disruptions, as signals between ground users and satellites were scrambled by the ionosphere, he added. The disruptions result from a deluge of dumped charged particles temporarily changing the ionosphere from a “mirror” that bounces high frequency radio waves around the planet to a “sponge” that soaks them up," Dr Rodger says.

In their paper, published in the August edition of Annales Geophysicae, the Otago researchers and UK and Finnish colleagues suggest that policymakers need to carefully consider the implications of remediation. The researchers also calculated the likely effect of remediation on the ozone layer, but found that ozone depletion would be short-lived and similar to that resulting from natural processes such as large solar storms and volcanic eruptions.

Note figure: Debris from Starfish nuclear test satellite on 9 July 1962 (400 km alt burst 1.4 MT), caused artifical aurora and damaged the Telstar 1 satellite, the worlds first active communications satellite.

Link to full text of University of Otago Communication, including background information.

Author's contact details:

Dr Craig J. Rodger            This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Department of Physics     +64 3 479 4120
University of Otago
PO Box 56, Dunedin
New Zealand