Protons as the prime contributors to storm time ring current

Abstract

Following a large sudden commencement on June 17, 1972, a large magnetic storm evolved, with a well-developed main phase and recovery phase. Explorer 45 (S3-A), with its apogee near 16 hours local time in June, measured the equatorial particle populations and magnetic field throughout this period. By use of data obtained during the symmetric recovery phase it is shown that through a series of self-consistent calculations, the measured protons, with energies from 1 to 872 keV, can account for almost all of the observed ring current magnetic effects within the limits of experimental uncertainties. This enables us to set an upper limit to the heavy ion contribution to the storm time ring current of a few percent of the proton contribution.