Giant Undulations Driven by Pitch‐Angle Scattering of Time Domain Structures Modulated by Plasmapause Surface Wave
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- Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research Shandong University Weihai China, Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics Institute of Geology and Geophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China, Colleage of Earth and Planetary Science University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- North China Regional Air Traffic Management Bureau, CAAC Beijing China
- Weihai Institute for Interdisciplinary Research Shandong University Weihai China, SDU‐ANU Joint Science College Shandong University Weihai China
- Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar‐Terrestrial Environment School of Space Science and Physics Institute of Space Sciences Shandong University Weihai China, State Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Space Science Center (NSSC) Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics Institute of Geology and Geophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China, Colleage of Earth and Planetary Science University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Space Weather National Center for Space Weather China Meteorological Administration Beijing China
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Laurel MD USA
- NWU‐HKU Joint Centre of Earth and Planetary Sciences Department of Earth Sciences University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
Abstract Plasmapause surface waves (PSWs) near the plasmapause boundary are regarded to be the magnetospheric source of ionospheric auroral giant undulations (GUs) located at the equatorward boundary of diffuse aurora. However, the observational evidence of wave‐particle interaction connecting PSWs and GUs is absent. In this letter, we demonstrate GUs are driven by pitch‐angle scattering of time domain structures modulated by the PSWs, based on the conjugated ionospheric and magnetospheric observations. Specifically, ionospheric GUs are lighted by the pitch‐angle scattering of <1 keV thermal electron and ions and energetic ions with energy up to dozens of keV near the plasmapause. Further, the total fluxes during one PSW period and energy of scattered electron and ions determine the size and luminosity of GUs. Our research provides observational evidence that PSWs cause periodic electron precipitation via modulating the time domain structures rather than the previously predicted chorus or electron cyclotron harmonic waves.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 2513537
- Journal Information:
- Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 52; ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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