Energetic distribution of protons with 0.05 ≤ E ≤ 50 MeV in the radiation belts of the earth.

Using the data from the Molniya 2 satellite, the authors analyze the differential energy spectra of protons in the energy range 0.05-50 MeV in the radiation belts of the earth. They describe two different mechanisms for the formation of the maximum in the spectra. The formation of the maximum at several hundred keV in the outer zone of the radiation belts is due to the action of loss mechanisms in the process of proton transport toward the earth. The most likely mechanism for the formation of the maximum at several MeV in the inner zone is resonance, under the action of quasiperiodic fluctuations of the geomagnetic field. These fluctuations are very likely responsible for the increase in the diffusion coefficient of the high-energy protons of the radiation belts.