Method and system for monitoring the precipitation of particles in the magnetosphere

A method for monitoring precipitation of magnetospheric particles, the method comprising the steps of:

• detecting charged magnetospheric particles by at least one particles detector installed on board at least one satellite vehicle in orbit by associating the detected charged magnetospheric particles with respective detection data;
• processing the detection data to associate a respective estimate or measurement of kinetic energy with the detected charged magnetospheric particles;
• obtaining a first count value NH correlated to a number of charged magnetospheric particles, detected in a period of time, which is associated with a relatively higher estimate or measurement of kinetic energy included in a first energy range;
• obtaining a second count value NL correlated to the number of charged magnetospheric particles, detected in said period of time, which is associated with a relatively lower estimate or measurement of kinetic energy included in a second energy range;
• detecting a relative variation of the second count value NL with respect to the first count value NH;
• determining that in said period of time an impulsive event of precipitation of charged magnetospheric particles (MPP event) in the magnetosphere occurred by comparing said variation with a threshold value;
• assigning to the MPP event a geomagnetic longitude and a time in which the MPP event occurred;
• defining one or more groups of MPP events, each group comprising MPP events occurred in a time range at a same geomagnetic longitude or at relatively close geomagnetic longitudes;
• and
• identifying a group of MPP events as indicative of an activity of terrestrial origin, based on the number of MPP events included in the group and/or based on the relative variation detected in the detecting step;
• reducing bandwidth required for transmission to a ground station by discarding, on board the at least one satellite, at least part of the detection data not associated with the identified group;
• and
• transmitting, by said ground station or said at least one satellite, a seismic alert that specifies one or more of:
• a geomagnetic longitude range, a time range, and a probability of occurrence of the identified group determined from historical correlations.