190k views
2 votes
High above the surface of the Earth, charged particles (such as electrons and protons) can become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field in regions known as Van Allen belts. A typical electron in a Van Allen belt has an energy of 40 keV and travels in a roughly circular orbit with an average radius of 210 m. What is the magnitude of the Earth's magnetic field where such an electron orbits?

User Iblazevic
by
7.5k points

1 Answer

2 votes
mv^2 =2* e*40k J/Cv= sqrt(2* e*40k/m)
mv^2/r = F centripetal = evB2* e*40k/(210*sqrt(2* e*40k/m)*e) =BB=√e∗80,000∗m−−−−−−−−−−−/210
User Sciyoshi
by
7.1k points