Anthropogenic Transmitter Networks Reshape Earth's Inner Radiation Belt

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Abstract

Anthropogenic radio signals substantially reshape Earth's inner radiation belt by scouring away energetic electrons that pose persistent risks to satellites and astronauts. While the potential for active radiation belt remediation is recognized, existing paradigms largely treat it as a "point-source" effect centered on a single powerful transmitter in Australia. The collective impact of globally distributed transmitter networks has remained obscure. Here we show that a cluster of moderate-power transmitters across the European sector acts as a synergistic source, driving significant electron loss. Using high-resolution particle measurements from the Macao Science Satellite-1 and Fengyun-3E missions, we report the first direct identification of structured precipitation features unambiguously induced by the European cluster. These structures—visible only when Europe is on the nightside—separate into discrete bands corresponding to distinct frequency groups, revealing a coordinated multi-frequency driver that dramatically expands the electron scavenging scope beyond the limitation of single-station effects. Our analysis demonstrates that this regional cluster collectively rivals the clearing efficiency of the most powerful individual facilities. This discovery shifts the paradigm from point-source interactions to coordinated regional effects, providing the missing link to a global phenomenon. Together, our results suggest that existing radio infrastructure can be orchestrated as a tunable, planetary-scale network capable of remodeling the inner radiation belt, representing a decisive advance in our perspective on actively mitigating radiation hazards near Earth.

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