Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Correlated Pc4-5 ULF waves, whistler-mode chorus, and pulsating aurora observed by the Van Allen Probes and ground-based systems

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JA021380· OSTI ID:1236778
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [6];  [5];  [5];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [2];  [10]
  1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
  3. The Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD (United States)
  4. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
  5. Univ. of Calgary, Calgary, AB (Canada)
  6. Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA (United States)
  7. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
  8. New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  9. NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
  10. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Theory and observations have linked equatorial VLF waves with pulsating aurora for decades, invoking the process of pitch angle scattering of tens of keV electrons in the equatorial magnetosphere. Recently published satellite studies have strengthened this argument, by showing strong correlation between pulsating auroral patches and both lower-band chorus and tens of keV electron modulation in the vicinity of geosynchronous orbit. Additionally, a previous link has been made between Pc4–5 compressional pulsations and modulation of whistler-mode chorus using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. In the current study, we present simultaneous in situ observations of structured chorus waves and an apparent field line resonance (in the Pc4–5 range) as a result of a substorm injection, observed by Van Allen Probes, along with ground-based observations of pulsating aurora. We demonstrate the likely scenario being one of substorm-driven Pc4–5 ULF pulsations modulating chorus waves, and thus providing the driver for pulsating particle precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere. Interestingly, the modulated chorus wave and ULF wave periods are well correlated, with chorus occurring at half the periodicity of the ULF waves. We also show, for the first time, a particular few-Hz modulation of individual chorus elements that coincides with the same modulation in a nearby pulsating aurora patch. As a result, such modulation has been noticed as a high-frequency component in ground-based camera data of pulsating aurora for decades and may be a result of nonlinear chorus wave interactions in the equatorial region.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1236778
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--15-27788
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 120; ISSN 2169-9380
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (70)

Multiscale temporal variations of pulsating auroras: On-off pulsation and a few Hz modulation: PULSATING AURORA:MULTI-SCALE VARIATION journal May 2014
The spatio-temporal characteristics of ULF waves driven by substorm injected particles: ULF WAVES DRIVEN BY ENERGETIC PARTICLES journal April 2013
Persistent, widespread pulsating aurora: A case study: PERSISTENT, WIDESPREAD PULSATING AURORA journal June 2013
Pulsating auroral electron flux modulations in the equatorial magnetosphere: EQUATORIAL PA ELECTRON MODULATION journal August 2013
The Optical Aurora book January 1971
Aurora book January 1974
Observed characteristics of auroral forms journal June 1978
Science Objectives and Rationale for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission journal September 2012
Science Goals and Overview of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) Suite on NASA’s Van Allen Probes Mission journal October 2013
The Electric Field and Waves Instruments on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission journal October 2013
The Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) Instruments Aboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Spacecraft journal June 2013
The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on RBSP journal June 2013
Science Objectives and Rationale for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission journal September 2012
Science Goals and Overview of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) Suite on NASA’s Van Allen Probes Mission journal October 2013
The Electric Field and Waves Instruments on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission journal October 2013
The Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) Instruments Aboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Spacecraft journal June 2013
The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) on RBSP journal June 2013
Pulsations in auroral electrons and positive ions journal February 1980
Bounce resonant interaction between pulsations and trapped particles journal March 1969
Morphology of the pulsating aurora journal September 1969
Distant modulation of electron intensity during the expansion phase of an auroral substorm journal May 1975
Magnetospheric chorus: Occurrence patterns and normalized frequency journal November 1976
Magnetospheric chorus emissions: A review journal May 1992
Bounce resonant interaction between pulsations and trapped particles journal March 1969
Morphology of the pulsating aurora journal September 1969
Distant modulation of electron intensity during the expansion phase of an auroral substorm journal May 1975
Magnetospheric chorus: Occurrence patterns and normalized frequency journal November 1976
Magnetospheric chorus emissions: A review journal May 1992
The THEMIS all-sky imaging array—system design and initial results from the prototype imager journal September 2006
Substorm dependence of chorus amplitudes: Implications for the acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies journal July 2001
Modeling the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere during strong geomagnetic storms journal January 2005
Surface waves and field line resonances: A THEMIS case study: FIELD LINE RESONANCE journal January 2009
Radiation belt dynamics: The importance of wave-particle interactions: FRONTIER journal November 2010
Preonset time sequence of auroral substorms: Coordinated observations by all-sky imagers, satellites, and radars: SUBSTORM SEQUENCE-ASI-SATELLITE-RADAR journal May 2010
Modulation of whistler mode chorus waves: 1. Role of compressional Pc4-5 pulsations: CHORUS MODULATION BY Pc4-5 PULSATIONS journal June 2011
Modulation of whistler mode chorus waves: 2. Role of density variations: CHORUS MODULATION BY DENSITY VARIATIONS journal June 2011
Multievent study of the correlation between pulsating aurora and whistler mode chorus emissions: PULSATING AURORA-CHORUS CORRELATION journal November 2011
Global distribution of wave amplitudes and wave normal angles of chorus waves using THEMIS wave observations: CHORUS WAVE DISTRIBUTION ON THEMIS journal December 2011
Pulsating aurora beyond the ultra-low-frequency range: BRIEF REPORT journal August 2012
Microburst phenomena: 3. An association between microbursts and VLF chorus journal April 1968
OGO 3 observations of ELF noise in the magnetosphere: 1. Spatial extent and frequency of occurrence journal February 1969
Banded chorus-A new type of VLF radiation observed in the magnetosphere by OGO 1 and OGO 3 journal June 1969
Auroral micropulsation instability journal April 1970
Pulsating aurora: Local and global morphology journal October 1977
Temporal fluctuations in the luminosity of diffuse aurora journal January 1980
Rocket-borne measurements of particle pulsation in pulsating aurora journal January 1981
Pitch angle diffusion in morningside aurorae: 1. The role of the loss cone in the formation of impulsive bursts of precipitation journal January 1986
On the temporal fluctuations of pulsating auroral luminosity journal January 1988
Global mode ULF pulsations in a magnetosphere with a nonmonotonic Alfvén velocity profile journal January 1989
On the generation of the pulsating aurora by the loss cone driven whistler instability in the equatorial region journal January 1990
Limit on stably trapped particle fluxes journal January 1966
Pulsating aurora journal July 1978
A 2.2-Hz modulation of auroral electrons imposed at the geomagnetic equator journal July 1980
Latitudinal and temporal characteristics of pulsating auroras journal August 1981
Electron energy measurements in pulsating auroras journal August 1981
Statistics of pulsating auroras on the basis of all-sky TV data from five stations. I. Occurrence frequency journal August 1981
Latitudinal and temporal characteristics of pulsating auroras journal August 1981
Electron energy measurements in pulsating auroras journal August 1981
Statistics of pulsating auroras on the basis of all-sky TV data from five stations. I. Occurrence frequency journal August 1981
Polarization of ULF waves in the earth’s magnetosphere journal June 2011
Pc5 modulation of high energy electron precipitation: particle interaction regions and scattering efficiency journal January 2005
Alfvén ship waves: high-m ULF pulsations in the magnetosphere generated by a moving plasma inhomogeneity journal January 2008
Pc5 waves generated by substorm injection: a case study journal January 2008
Intermediate-m ULF waves generated by substorm injection: a case study journal January 2010
Characteristics of Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) naturally enhanced ion-acoustic lines (NEIALs) in relation to auroral forms journal January 2014
Pc5 modulation of high energy electron precipitation: particle interaction regions and scattering efficiency journal January 2005
Alfvén ship waves: high-m ULF pulsations in the magnetosphere generated by a moving plasma inhomogeneity journal January 2008
Pc5 waves generated by substorm injection: a case study journal January 2008
Intermediate-m ULF waves generated by substorm injection: a case study journal January 2010
Characteristics of Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) naturally enhanced ion-acoustic lines (NEIALs) in relation to auroral forms journal January 2014

Cited By (8)

Experimental evidence of drift compressional waves in the magnetosphere: An Ekaterinburg coherent decameter radar case study journal February 2016
Modulation of chorus intensity by ULF waves deep in the inner magnetosphere: CHORUS MODULATION BY ULF WAVES journal September 2016
Microscopic Observations of Pulsating Aurora Associated With Chorus Element Structures: Coordinated Arase Satellite‐PWING Observations journal November 2018
Magnetospheric Chorus, Exohiss, and Magnetosonic Emissions Simultaneously Modulated by Fundamental Toroidal Standing Alfvén Waves Following Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Fluctuations journal February 2019
Statistical Occurrence and Distribution of High‐Amplitude Whistler Mode Waves in the Outer Radiation Belt journal March 2019
Statistical Distribution of Whistler Mode Waves in the Radiation Belts With Large Magnetic Field Amplitudes and Comparison to Large Electric Field Amplitudes journal August 2019
Periodic Excitation of Chorus and ECH Waves Modulated by Ultralow Frequency Compressions journal November 2019
Van Allen Probes observation of plasmaspheric hiss modulated by injected energetic electrons journal January 2018

Similar Records

Substorm Driven Chorus Waves: Decay Timescales and Implications for Pulsating Aurora
Journal Article · Sat Jan 06 19:00:00 EST 2024 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics · OSTI ID:2279076

A direct link between chorus emissions and pulsating aurora on timescales from milliseconds to minutes: A case study at subauroral latitudes
Journal Article · Thu Nov 26 19:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics · OSTI ID:1236714

Related Subjects