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A positive correlation between energetic electron butterfly distributions and magnetosonic waves in the radiation belt slot region

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073116· OSTI ID:1402641
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [4]
  1. Changsha Univ. of Science and Technology (China); Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China)
  2. Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China)
  3. Changsha Univ. of Science and Technology (China)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
  6. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  7. Aerospace Corp., Los Angeles, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Energetic (hundreds of keV) electrons in the radiation belt slot region have been found to exhibit the butterfly pitch angle distributions. Resonant interactions with magnetosonic and whistler-mode waves are two potential mechanisms for the formation of these peculiar distributions. Here we perform a statistical study of energetic electron pitch angle distribution characteristics measured by Van Allen Probes in the slot region during a three-year period from May 2013 to May 2016. Our results show that electron butterfly distributions are closely related to magnetosonic waves rather than to whistlermode waves. Both electron butterfly distributions and magnetosonic waves occur more frequently at the geomagnetically active times than at the quiet times. In a statistical sense, more distinct butterfly distributions usually correspond to magnetosonic waves with larger amplitudes and vice versa. The averaged magnetosonic wave amplitude is less than 5 pT in the case of normal and flat-top distributions with a butterfly index BI = 1 but reaches ~ 35–95 pT in the case of distinct butterfly distributions with BI > 1:3. For magnetosonic waves with amplitudes > 50 pT, the occurrence rate of butterfly distribution is above 80%. Our study suggests that energetic electron butterfly distributions in the slot region are primarily caused by magnetosonic waves.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
NASA; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1402641
Report Number(s):
LA--UR-17-24833
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 44; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (7)

Prompt Disappearance and Emergence of Radiation Belt Magnetosonic Waves Induced by Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Variations journal January 2018
Magnetotail dipolarization fronts and particle acceleration: A review journal December 2019
Magnetosonic Harmonic Falling and Rising Frequency Emissions Potentially Generated by Nonlinear Wave‐Wave Interactions in the Van Allen Radiation Belts journal August 2018
Equatorial Noise With Quasiperiodic Modulation: Multipoint Observations by the Van Allen Probes Spacecraft journal June 2018
Effect of Low‐Harmonic Magnetosonic Waves on the Radiation Belt Electrons Inside the Plasmasphere journal May 2019
Quenching of Equatorial Magnetosonic Waves by Substorm Proton Injections journal June 2019
Equatorial Propagation of the Magnetosonic Mode Across the Plasmapause: 2‐D PIC Simulations journal June 2019

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Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics