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Title: Direct evidence for EMIC wave scattering of relativistic electrons in space: EMIC-Driven Electron Losses in Space

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022521· OSTI ID:1402611
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [6]; ORCiD logo [7];  [8];  [9];  [9]
  1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Inst. of Geophysics and Space Physics
  2. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
  3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Inst. of Geophysics and Space Physics
  4. Univ. of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States). Dept. of Physics
  5. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
  6. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Lab. for Atmospheric and Space Research
  7. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States). Space Sciences Division
  8. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States). Inst. for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space
  9. Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves have been proposed to cause efficient losses of highly relativistic (>1 MeV) electrons via gyroresonant interactions. Simultaneous observations of EMIC waves and equatorial electron pitch angle distributions, which can be used to directly quantify the EMIC wave scattering effect, are still very limited, however. In the present study, we evaluate the effect of EMIC waves on pitch angle scattering of ultrarelativistic (>1 MeV) electrons during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm, when intense EMIC wave activity was observed in situ (in the plasma plume region with high plasma density) on both Van Allen Probes. EMIC waves captured by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) probes and on the ground across the Canadian Array for Real-time Investigations of Magnetic Activity (CARISMA) are also used to infer their magnetic local time (MLT) coverage. From the observed EMIC wave spectra and local plasma parameters, we compute wave diffusion rates and model the evolution of electron pitch angle distributions. In conclusion, by comparing model results with local observations of pitch angle distributions, we show direct, quantitative evidence of EMIC wave-driven relativistic electron losses in the Earth’s outer radiation belt.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396; 967399; 921647; NAS5-01072; NNX15AI96G; NNX15AF61G; NNX11AR64G; NNX13AI61G; NNX14AI18G; FA9550-15-1-0158; AGS 1564510
OSTI ID:
1402611
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-23135; TRN: US1703009
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Vol. 121, Issue 7; ISSN 2169-9380
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 63 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (10)

Nonlinear fundamental and harmonic cyclotron resonant scattering of radiation belt ultrarelativistic electrons by oblique monochromatic EMIC waves journal February 2017
Contemporaneous EMIC and whistler mode waves: Observations and consequences for MeV electron loss: SIMULTANEOUS EMIC AND WHISTLER OBSERVATIONS journal August 2017
Examining Wave Vector and Minimum Cyclotron Resonant Electron Energy of EMIC Waves With Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission journal October 2018
Earth's Van Allen Radiation Belts: From Discovery to the Van Allen Probes Era journal November 2019
Magnetospheric Multiscale Observation of Quasiperiodic EMIC Waves Associated With Enhanced Solar Wind Pressure journal July 2019
Analyzing EMIC Waves in the Inner Magnetosphere Using Long‐Term Van Allen Probes Observations journal September 2019
Propagation of EMIC Waves Inside the Plasmasphere: A Two‐Event Study journal November 2019
Scattering of Ultra-relativistic Electrons in the Van Allen Radiation Belts Accounting for Hot Plasma Effects journal December 2017
Nonlinear Landau resonance between EMIC waves and cold electrons in the inner magnetosphere journal April 2019
On the Contribution of EMIC Waves to the Reconfiguration of the Relativistic Electron Butterfly Pitch Angle Distribution Shape on 2014 September 12—A Case Study journal February 2019

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics
EMIC waves
relativistic electron loss
wave-particle interaction
Fokker-Planck equation
electron precipitation
equatorial pitch angle distribution