Ultra-Relativistic Electrons Accelerated Inside Earth's "Impenetrable Barrier"; Arase Reveals an Unexpected Radiation Belt Response to the May 2024 Superstorm

2026-10-27

Prof. Miyoshi (CIDAS/Division for Integrated Studies), Designated Assistant Professors Shinbori, Yamamoto, Jun, Kitamura (CIDAS) and Designated Associated Professor Hori (CIDAS) at the Center for Integrated Data Science/Division for Integrated Studies have revealed for the first time in the world that relativistic electrons were newly accelerated within a region of Earth’s radiation belts previously thought to be an “impenetrable barrier” to such electrons at altitudes below 12,000 km. This discovery was made during the May 2024 superstorm event. This result is reported in Geophysical Research Letters.

Article:
Miyoshi, Y. et al.
Local Acceleration of Multi-MeV Electrons Inside Earth’s Impenetrable Barrier During the May 2024 Superstorm,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 53, doi:10.1029/2026GL125879, 2026
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2026GL125879