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Electron scattering by magnetosonic waves in the inner magnetosphere

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JA021992· OSTI ID:1467662
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3]
  1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California
  2. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here, we investigate the importance of electron scattering by magnetosonic waves in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere. A statistical survey of the magnetosonic wave amplitude and wave frequency spectrum, as a function of geomagnetic activity, is performed using the Van Allen Probes wave measurements and is found to be generally consistent with the wave distribution obtained from previous spacecraft missions. Outside the plasmapause the statistical frequency distribution of magnetosonic waves follows the variation of the lower hybrid resonance frequency, but this trend is not observed inside the plasmasphere. Drift and bounce averaged electron diffusion rates due to magnetosonic waves are calculated using a recently developed analytical formula. The resulting timescale of electron energization during disturbed conditions (when AE* > 300 nT) is more than 10 days. We perform a 2-D simulation of the electron phase space density evolution due to magnetosonic wave scattering during disturbed conditions. Outside the plasmapause, the waves accelerate electrons with pitch angles between 50° and 70° and form butterfly pitch angle distributions at energies from ~100 keV to a few MeV over a timescale of several days; whereas inside the plasmapause, the electron acceleration is very weak. Our study suggests that intense magnetosonic waves may cause the butterfly distribution of radiation belt electrons especially outside the plasmapause, but electron acceleration due to magnetosonic waves is generally not as effective as chorus wave acceleration.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0010578
OSTI ID:
1467662
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 121; ISSN 2169-9380
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (19)

Fast dropouts of multi-MeV electrons due to combined effects of EMIC and whistler mode waves: FAST DROPOUTS OF MULTI-MEV ELECTRONS journal May 2016
Ultrarelativistic electron butterfly distributions created by parallel acceleration due to magnetosonic waves: MS WAVES CREATE BUTTERFLY DISTRIBUTIONS journal April 2016
Radiation belt electron acceleration during the 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm: Observations and simulations: Radiation Belt Electron Acceleration journal June 2016
Resonant Scattering of Radiation Belt Electrons by Off‐Equatorial Magnetosonic Waves journal February 2018
Oblique Whistler-Mode Waves in the Earth’s Inner Magnetosphere: Energy Distribution, Origins, and Role in Radiation Belt Dynamics journal April 2016
Generation of Lower Harmonic Magnetosonic Waves Through Nonlinear Wave‐Wave Interactions journal August 2018
Evolution of Radiation Belt Electron Pitch Angle Distribution Due to Combined Scattering by Plasmaspheric Hiss and Magnetosonic Waves journal March 2019
Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts: From Discovery to the Van Allen Probes Era journal November 2019
Simultaneous Trapping of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron and Magnetosonic Waves by Background Plasmas journal March 2019
Recent Advancements and Remaining Challenges Associated With Inner Magnetosphere Cross‐Energy/Population Interactions (IMCEPI) journal February 2019
Energetic Electron Precipitation: Multievent Analysis of Its Spatial Extent During EMIC Wave Activity journal April 2019
Ion Heating by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves and Magnetosonic Waves in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere journal June 2019
Combined Scattering of Radiation Belt Electrons Caused by Landau and Bounce Resonant Interactions With Magnetosonic Waves journal September 2019
Modeling the Electron Flux Enhancement and Butterfly Pitch Angle Distributions on L Shells <2.5 journal October 2019
Characteristics and Generation of Low‐Frequency Magnetosonic Waves Below the Proton Gyrofrequency journal November 2019
Wave Normal Angle Distribution of Fast Magnetosonic Waves: A Survey of Van Allen Probes EMFISIS Observations journal July 2019
Equatorial Propagation of the Magnetosonic Mode Across the Plasmapause: 2‐D PIC Simulations journal June 2019
Variability of the Proton Radiation Belt journal July 2019
Global Survey and Empirical Model of Fast Magnetosonic Waves Over Their Full Frequency Range in Earth's Inner Magnetosphere journal December 2019

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Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Van Allen Probes statistics
electron scattering
magnetosonic waves