Radiation Belt Remediation
Michel Tuszewski , ISR-1

July 8, TA-35, Bld 86, room 205

The dipole-like magnetic field of the earth efficiently confines charged particles with energies from 1 eV to greater than 1 GeV. The high-energy charged particles of the earth's radiation belts are known to damage satellite electronics. A modest (10 kiloton) nuclear detonation at 100 - 300 km altitude could create an intense artificial radiation belt, filled with 1 - 10 MeV electrons from beta decay of fission fragments. Most satellites located within this belt would be destroyed within a few weeks. Could one somehow "drain" the artificial belt to prevent satellite damage? various possible remediation techniques are described in this talk.