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Found 41 entries in the Bibliography.


Showing entries from 1 through 41


2021

Empirical loss timescales of slot region electrons due to plasmaspheric hiss based on Van Allen Probes observations

Abstract Based on Van Allen Probes observations, in this study we perform a statistical analysis of the spectral intensities of plasmaspheric hiss at L-shells of 1.8 – 3.0 in the slot region. Our results show that slot region hiss power intensifies with a strong day-night asymmetry as the level of substorm activity or L-shell increases. Using the statistical spectral profiles of plasmaspheric hiss, we calculate the drift- and bounce-averaged electron pitch angle diffusion coefficients and subsequently obtain the resultant electron loss timescales through 1-D Fokker-Planck simulations. We find that slot region electron loss timescales vary significantly from <1 day to several years, showing a strong dependence on electron energy, L-shell and substorm activity. We also construct an empirical model of slot region electron loss timescales due to scattering by plasmaspheric hiss, which agrees well with the 1-D simulation results and can be readily used in modeling the dynamics of slot region electrons. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Zhu, Qi; Cao, Xing; Gu, Xudong; Ni, Binbin; Xiang, Zheng; Fu, Song; Summers, Danny; Hua, Man; Lou, Yuequn; Ma, Xin; Guo, YingJie; Guo, DeYu; Zhang, Wenxun;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 04/2021

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA029057

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Slot region; Electron loss timescales; Van Allen Probes

Van Allen probe observations of disappearance, recovery and patchiness of plasmaspheric hiss following two consecutive interplanetary shocks: First results

Abstract We present, for the first time, a plasmaspheric hiss event observed by the Van Allen probes in response to two successive interplanetary shocks occurring within an interval of ∼2 hours on December 19, 2015. The first shock arrived at 16:16 UT and caused disappearance of hiss for ∼30 minutes. Combined effect of plasmapause crossing, significant Landau damping by suprathermal electrons and their gradual removal by magnetospheric compression led to the disappearance of hiss. Calculation of electron phase space density and linear wave growth rates showed that the shock did not change the growth rate of whistler waves within the core frequency range of plasmaspheric hiss (0.1 - 0.5 kHz) during this interval making conditions unfavorable for the generation of hiss. The recovery began at ∼16:45 UT which is attributed to an enhancement in local plasma instability initiated by the first shock-induced substorm and additional possible contribution from chorus waves. This time, the wave growth rate peaked within the core frequency range ( ∼350 Hz). The second shock arrived at 18:02 UT and generated patchy hiss persisting up to ∼19:00 UT. It is shown that an enhanced growth rate and additional contribution from shock-induced poloidal Pc5 mode (periodicity ∼240 sec) ULF waves resulted in the excitation of hiss waves during this period. The hiss wave amplitudes were found to be additionally modulated by background plasma density and fluctuating plasmapause location. The investigation highlights the important roles of interplanetary shocks, substorms, ULF waves and background plasma density in the variability of plasmaspheric hiss.

Chakraborty, S.; Chakrabarty, D.; Reeves, G.; Baker, D.; Claudepierre, S.; Breneman, A.; Hartley, D.; Larsen, B.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 03/2021

YEAR: 2021     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028873

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probe; Interplanetary shocks; substorms; Whistlers; ULF waves; Van Allen Probes

2020

Electron Diffusion by Coexisting Plasmaspheric Hiss and Chorus Waves: Multisatellite Observations and Simulations

We report a rare event of intense plasmaspheric hiss and chorus waves simultaneously observed at the same L shell but different magnetic local times by Van Allen Probes and Magnetospheric Multiscale. Based on the measured waves and electron distributions, we calculate the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients and subsequently simulate the temporal evolution of electron distributions. The simulations show that the dynamics of tens to hundreds of keV electrons are jointly controlled by hiss and chorus. The dynamics of MeV electrons are dominantly controlled by hiss near the loss cone but by chorus at intermediate to large pitch angles. The simulated electron distributions driven by combined diffusion can reproduce the majority of the observations. Our results provide a direct observational evidence that hiss and chorus can simultaneously occur at the same electron drifting shells due to the irregular plasmasphere and highlight the importance of their combined effect on electron dynamics.

Yu, J.; Wang, J.; Li, L; Cui, J.; Cao, J.; He, Z.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 07/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088753

electron diffusion; Plasmaspheric Hiss; chorus waves; Van Allen Probes; MMS

Quantifying the Effect of Plasmaspheric Hiss on the Electron Loss from the Slot Region

Abstract We present global statistical models of both wave amplitude and wave normal angle (WNA) of plasmaspheric hiss using Van Allen Probe-A observations. They utilize the time history of solar wind parameters, i.e., interplanetary magnetic field BZ and solar wind speed, and the AE index for each measurement of hiss waves as inputs. The solar wind parameter-based model generally results in higher performance than using only the AE index as an input. Both observations and model results reveal a clear dependence of hiss wave distribution on the magnetic local time (MLT): higher amplitudes with field-aligned (<30o) WNAs occur more frequently on the dayside than on the nightside. Such a tendency does not depend on magnetic latitude (MLAT), but slightly larger WNAs with a relatively low amplitude frequently appear for larger MLAT (>10o). We also examine how significantly the electron loss rates in the slot region can be changed by incorporating the model output of hiss waves into a diffusive transport simulation. Simulation results show that during a typical timescale (roughly a couple of days) of a corotating interaction region-driven storm, the nightside hiss waves with larger WNA (>30o) do not contribute to the electron loss in the slot region due to their low amplitude and large WNA, while dayside hiss with WNAs less than 30o and comparatively higher amplitudes leads to a fast drop in flux, especially for electrons of a few hundred keV.

Kim, Kyung-Chan; Shprits, Yuri; Wang, Dedong;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 04/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: 10.1029/2019JA027555

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; Electron slot region; Statistical modeling; Diffusion simulation; Wave-particle interaction

Quantifying the Effect of Plasmaspheric Hiss on the Electron Loss From the Slot Region

We present global statistical models of both wave amplitude and wave normal angle (WNA) of plasmaspheric hiss using Van Allen Probe-A observations. They utilize the time history of solar wind parameters, that is, interplanetary magnetic field BZ and solar wind speed, and the AE index for each measurement of hiss waves as inputs. The solar wind parameter-based model generally results in higher performance than using only the AE index as an input. Both observations and model results reveal a clear dependence of hiss wave distribution on the magnetic local time (MLT): Higher amplitudes with field-aligned (<30o) WNAs occur more frequently on the dayside than on the nightside. Such a tendency does not depend on magnetic latitude (MLAT), but slightly larger WNAs with a relatively low amplitude frequently appear for larger MLAT (>10o). We also examine how significantly the electron loss rates in the slot region can be changed by incorporating the model output of hiss waves into a diffusive transport simulation. Simulation results show that during a typical timescale (roughly a couple of days) of a corotating interaction region-driven storm, the nightside hiss waves with larger WNA (>30o) do not contribute to the electron loss in the slot region due to their low amplitude and large WNA, while dayside hiss with WNAs less than 30o and comparatively higher amplitudes leads to a fast drop in flux, especially for electrons of a few hundred keV.

Kim, Kyung-Chan; Shprits, Yuri; Wang, Dedong;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 04/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JA027555

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; Electron slot region; Statistical modeling; Diffusion simulation; Wave-particle interaction

Comprehensive Observations of Substorm-Enhanced Plasmaspheric Hiss Generation, Propagation, and Dissipation

Plasmaspheric hiss is an important whistler-mode emission shaping the Van Allen radiation belt environment. How the plasmaspheric hiss waves are generated, propagate, and dissipate remains under intense debate. With the five spacecraft of Van Allen Probes, Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (Arase), and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites missions at widely spaced locations, we present here the first comprehensive observations of hiss waves growing from the substorm-injected electron instability, spreading within the plasmasphere, and dissipating over a large spatial scale. During substorms, hot electrons were injected energy-dispersively into the plasmasphere near the dawnside and, probably through a combination of linear and nonlinear cyclotron resonances, generated whistler-mode waves with globally drifting frequencies. These waves were able to propagate from the dawnside to the noonside, with the frequency-drifting feature retained. Approximately 5 hr of magnetic local time away from the source region in the dayside sector, the wave power was dissipated to urn:x-wiley:grl:media:grl60110:grl60110-math-0001 of its original level.

Liu, Nigang; Su, Zhenpeng; Gao, Zhonglei; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui; Miyoshi, Yoshizumi; Shinohara, Iku; Kasahara, Yoshiya; Tsuchiya, Fuminori; Kumamoto, Atsushi; Matsuda, Shoya; Shoji, Masafumi; Mitani, Takefumi; Takashima, Takeshi; Kazama, Yoichi; Wang, Bo-Jhou; Wang, Shiang-Yu; Jun, Chae-Woo; Chang, Tzu-Fang; W. Y. Tam, Sunny; Kasahara, Satoshi; Yokota, Shoichiro; Keika, Kunihiro; Hori, Tomoaki; Matsuoka, Ayako;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 01/2020

YEAR: 2020     DOI: 10.1029/2019GL086040

plasmasphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belt; Van Allen Probes; Wave Dissipation; wave generation; wave propagation

Comprehensive Observations of Substorm-Enhanced Plasmaspheric Hiss Generation, Propagation, and Dissipation

Abstract Plasmaspheric hiss is an important whistler-mode emission shaping the Van Allen radiation belt environment. How the plasmaspheric hiss waves are generated, propagate, and dissipate remains under intense debate. With the five spacecraft of Van Allen Probes, Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (Arase), and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites missions at widely spaced locations, we present here the first comprehensive observations of hiss waves growing from the substorm-injected electron instability, spreading within the plasmasphere, and dissipating over a large spatial scale. During substorms, hot electrons were injected energy-dispersively into the plasmasphere near the dawnside and, probably through a combination of linear and nonlinear cyclotron resonances, generated whistler-mode waves with globally drifting frequencies. These waves were able to propagate from the dawnside to the noonside, with the frequency-drifting feature retained. Approximately 5 hr of magnetic local time away from the source region in the dayside sector, the wave power was dissipated to of its original level.

Liu, Nigang; Su, Zhenpeng; Gao, Zhonglei; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui; Miyoshi, Yoshizumi; Shinohara, Iku; Kasahara, Yoshiya; Tsuchiya, Fuminori; Kumamoto, Atsushi; Matsuda, Shoya; Shoji, Masafumi; Mitani, Takefumi; Takashima, Takeshi; Kazama, Yoichi; Wang, Bo-Jhou; Wang, Shiang-Yu; Jun, Chae-Woo; Chang, Tzu-Fang; W. Y. Tam, Sunny; Kasahara, Satoshi; Yokota, Shoichiro; Keika, Kunihiro; Hori, Tomoaki; Matsuoka, Ayako;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on:

YEAR: 2020     DOI: 10.1029/2019GL086040

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belt; plasmasphere; wave generation; wave propagation; Wave Dissipation

2019

Decay of Ultrarelativistic Remnant Belt Electrons Through Scattering by Plasmaspheric Hiss

Ultrarelativistic electron remnant belts appear frequently following geomagnetic disturbances and are located in-between the inner radiation belt and a reforming outer belt. As remnant belts are relatively stable, here we explore the importance of hiss and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves in controlling the observed decay rates of remnant belt ultrarelativistic electrons in a statistical way. Using measurements from the Van Allen Probes inside the plasmasphere for 25 remnant belt events that occurred between 2012 and 2017 and that are located in the region 2.9

Pinto, V.; Mourenas, D.; Bortnik, J.; Zhang, X.-J.; Artemyev, A.; Moya, P.; Lyons, L.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: Dec-07-2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2019JA026509

Decay rates; EMIC waves; MeV Electron Decay; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belts; Remnant Belt; Van Allen Probes

Triggered Plasmaspheric Hiss: Rising Tone Structures

In this study, a rare hiss event observed by Van Allen Probe is reported and the possible generation is investigated based on wave and plasma measurements. The results suggest that the normal hiss (from 0.05fce to 0.5fce) with dominantly equatorward Poynting fluxes is locally generated by plasma sheet electrons via cyclotron instability. The low-frequency band (from 30 Hz to 0.05fce) with a mixture of equatorward and poleward Poynting fluxes is probably due to multiple reflections inside the plasmasphere. Such difference in the two bands is confirmed by the calculation of minimum energy of resonant electrons and local growth rate. Moreover, the analysis on the fine structures of normal hiss waves shows that besides the expected incoherent structure (below 1 kHz), several rising tone elements are measured above 1 kHz. The rising tone structures are probably triggered by the incoherent hiss part below 1 kHz, which is rarely reported before.

Zhu, Hui; Liu, Xu; Chen, Lunjin;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 05/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2019GL082688

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belts; Rising tone structure; Van Allen Probes

Statistical Analysis of Hiss Waves in Plasmaspheric Plumes Using Van Allen Probe Observations

Plasmaspheric hiss waves commonly observed in high-density regions in the Earth\textquoterights magnetosphere are known to be one of the main contributors to the loss of radiation belt electrons. There has been a lot of effort to investigate the distributions of hiss waves in the plasmasphere, while relatively little attention has been given to those in the plasmaspheric plume. In this study, we present for the first time a statistical analysis of the occurrence and the spatial distribution of wave amplitudes and wave normal angles for hiss waves in plumes using Van Allen Probes observations during the period of October 2012 to December 2016. Statistical results show that a wide range of hiss wave amplitudes in plumes from a few picotesla to >100 pT is observed, but a modest (<20 pT) wave amplitude is more commonly observed regardless of geomagnetic activity in both the midnight-to-dawn and dusk sector. By contrast, stronger amplitude hiss occurs preferentially during geomagnetically active times in the dusk sector. The wave normal angles are distributed over a broad range from 0\textdegree to 90\textdegree with a bimodal distribution: a quasi-field-aligned population (<20\textdegree) with an occurrence rate of <60\% and an oblique one (>50\textdegree) with a relative low occurrence rate of ≲20\%. Therefore, from a statistical point of view, we confirm that the hiss intensity (a few tens of picotesla) and field-aligned hiss wave adopted in previous simulation studies are a reasonable assumption but stress that the activity dependence of the wave amplitude should be considered.

Kim, Kyung-Chan; Shprits, Yuri;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 03/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA026458

Plasmaspheric Hiss; plasmaspheric plume; Van Allen Probes

Van Allen Probes observations of chorus wave vector orientations: Implications for the chorus-to-hiss mechanism

Using observations from the Van Allen Probes EMFISIS instrument, coupled with ray tracing simulations, we determine the fraction of chorus wave power with the conditions required to access the plasmasphere and evolve into plasmaspheric hiss. It is found that only an extremely small fraction of chorus occurs with the required wave vector orientation, carrying only a small fraction of the total chorus wave power. The exception is on the edge of plasmaspheric plumes, where strong azimuthal density gradients are present. In these cases, up to 94\% of chorus wave power exists with the conditions required to access the plasmasphere. As such, we conclude that strong azimuthal density gradients are actually a requirement if a significant fraction of chorus wave power is to enter the plasmasphere and be a source of plasmaspheric hiss. This result suggests it is unlikely that chorus directly contributes a significant fraction of plasmaspheric hiss wave power.

Hartley, D.; Kletzing, C.; Chen, L.; Horne, R.; ik, O.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 02/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2019GL082111

chorus waves; EMFISIS; Plasmaspheric Hiss; plasmaspheric plumes; Van Allen Probes; wave normal angle

Local Generation of High-Frequency Plasmaspheric Hiss Observed by Van Allen Probes

The generation of a high-frequency plasmaspheric hiss (HFPH) wave observed by Van Allen Probes is studied in this letter for the first time. The wave has a moderate power spectral density (\~10-6 nT2/Hz), with a frequency range extended from 2 to 10 kHz. The correlated observations of waves and particles indicate that HFPH is associated with the enhancement of electron flux during the substorm on 6 January 2014. Calculations of the wave linear growth rate driven by the fitted electron phase space density show that the electron distribution after the substorm onset is efficient for the HFPH generation. The energy of the contributing electrons is about 1\textendash2 keV, which is consistent with the observation. These results support that the observed HFPH is likely to be generated locally inside the plasmasphere due to the instability of injected kiloelectron volt electrons.

He, Zhaoguo; Chen, Lunjin; Liu, Xu; Zhu, Hui; Liu, Si; Gao, Zhonglei; Cao, Yong;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 01/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018GL081578

electron; high frequency; local generation; Plasmaspheric Hiss; substorm injection; Van Allen Probes

Properties of Whistler Mode Waves in Earth\textquoterights Plasmasphere and Plumes

Whistler mode wave properties inside the plasmasphere and plumes are systematically investigated using 5-year data from Van Allen Probes. The occurrence and intensity of whistler mode waves in the plasmasphere and plumes exhibit dependences on magnetic local time, L, and AE. Based on the dependence of the wave normal angle and Poynting flux direction on L shell and normalized wave frequency to electron cyclotron frequency (fce), whistler mode waves are categorized into four types. Type I: ~0.5 fce with oblique wave normal angles mostly in plumes; Type II: 0.01\textendash0.5 fce with small wave normal angles in the outer plasmasphere or inside plumes; Type III: <0.01 fce with oblique wave normal angles mostly within the plasmasphere or plumes; Type IV: 0.05\textendash0.5 fce with oblique wave normal angles deep inside the plasmasphere. The Poynting fluxes of Type I and II waves are mostly directed away from the equator, suggesting local amplification, whereas the Poynting fluxes of Type III and IV are directed either away from or toward the equator, and may originate from other source regions. Whistler mode waves in plumes have relatively small wave normal angles with Poynting flux mostly directed away from the equator and are associated with high electron fluxes from ~30 keV to hundreds of keV, all of which support local amplification. Whistler mode wave amplitudes in plumes can be stronger than typical plasmaspheric hiss, particularly during active times. Our results provide critical insights into understanding whistler mode wave generation inside the plasmasphere and plumes.

Shi, Run; Li, Wen; Ma, Qianli; Green, Alex; Kletzing, Craig; Kurth, William; Hospodarsky, George; Claudepierre, Seth; Spence, Harlan; Reeves, Geoff;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 01/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA026041

Plasmaspheric Hiss; plasmaspheric plume; Van Allen Probes; whistler mode waves

2018

Variation in Plasmaspheric Hiss Wave Power With Plasma Density

Plasmaspheric hiss waves are commonly observed in the inner magnetosphere. These waves efficiently scatter electrons, facilitating their precipitation into the atmosphere. Predictive inner magnetosphere simulations often model hiss waves using parameterized empirical maps of observed hiss power. These maps nearly always include parameterization by magnetic L value. In this work, data from the Van Allen Probes are used to compare variation in hiss wave power with variation in both L value and cold plasma density. It is found that for L> 2.5, plasmaspheric hiss wave power increases with plasma density. For L> 3, this increase is stronger and occurs regardless of L value and for all local times. This result suggests that the current paradigm for parameterizing hiss wave power in many magnetospheric simulations may need to be revisited and that a new parameterization in terms of plasma density rather than L value should be explored.

Malaspina, David; Ripoll, Jean-Francois; Chu, Xiangning; Hospodarsky, George; Wygant, John;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 09/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018GL078564

inner magnetosphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes; Wave models

Determining Plasmaspheric Densities from Observations of Plasmaspheric Hiss

A new method of inferring electron plasma densities inside of the plasmasphere is presented. Utilizing observations of the electric and magnetic field wave power associated with plasmaspheric hiss, coupled with the cold plasma dispersion relation, permits calculation of the plasma density. This methodology yields a density estimate for each frequency channel and time interval where plasmaspheric hiss is observed and is shown to yield results that are generally in agreement with densities determined via other methods. A statistical calibration is performed against the density from the upper hybrid line, accounting for both systematic offsets and distribution scatter in the hiss-inferred densities. This calculation and calibration methodology provides accurate density estimates, both statistically and for individual events. These calibrated calculated densities are not subject to the same upper limit as densities inferred via other methodologies, thus permitting density estimates to be extended to lower L shells. This is of particular interest given that fpe/fce ratios indicate favorable conditions for efficient pitch-angle and energy diffusion in this region. Since hiss is almost always observable inside of the plasmasphere, the hiss-inferred densities are available for the majority of time periods, with 79\% data coverage for L < 4. This compares to 33\textendash37\% data coverage for other methods of inferring plasma densities. Due to the high-accuracy of these hiss-inferred densities and their plentiful availability, this methodology provides a viable alternative of calculating event-specific densities, and therefore diffusion coefficients, as opposed to relying on empirical models for periods when densities from other sources are not available.

Hartley, D.; Kletzing, C.; De Pascuale, S.; Kurth, W.; ik, O.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 08/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025658

Density; EMFISIS; plasmasphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes

Electron Scattering by Plasmaspheric Hiss in a Nightside Plume

Plasmaspheric hiss is known to play an important role in radiation belt electron dynamics in high plasma density regions. We present observations of two crossings of a plasmaspheric plume by the Van Allen Probes on 26 December 2012, which occurred unusually at the post-midnight-to-dawn sector between L ~ 4\textendash6 during a geomagnetically quiet period. This plume exhibited pronounced electron densities higher than those of the average plume level. Moderate hiss emissions accompanied the two plume crossings with the peak power at about 100 Hz. Quantification of quasi-linear bounce-averaged electron scattering rates by hiss in the plume demonstrates that the waves are efficient to pitch angle scatter ~10\textendash100 keV electrons at rates up to ~10-4 s-1 near the loss cone but become gradually insignificant to scatter the higher energy electron population. The resultant timescales of electron loss due to hiss in the nightside plume vary largely with electron kinetic energy over 3 orders of magnitude, that is, from several hours for tens of keV electrons to a few days for hundreds of keV electrons to well above 100 days for >1 MeV electrons. Changing slightly with L-shell and the multiquartile profile of hiss spectral intensity, these electron loss timescales suggest that hiss emissions in the nightside plume act as a viable candidate for the fast loss of the ≲100 keV electrons and the slow decay of higher energy electrons.

Zhang, Wenxun; Fu, Song; Gu, Xudong; Ni, Binbin; Xiang, Zheng; Summers, Danny; Zou, Zhengyang; Cao, Xing; Lou, Yuequn; Hua, Man;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 05/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018GL077212

Electron scattering; nightside plumes; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes

Global model of plasmaspheric hiss from multiple satellite observations

We present a global model of plasmaspheric hiss, using data from eight satellites, extending the coverage and improving the statistics of existing models. We use geomagnetic activity dependent templates to separate plasmaspheric hiss from chorus. In the region 22-14 MLT the boundary between plasmaspheric hiss and chorus moves to lower L* values with increasing geomagnetic activity. The average wave intensity of plasmaspheric hiss is largest on the dayside and increases with increasing geomagnetic activity from midnight through dawn to dusk. Plasmaspheric hiss is most intense and spatially extended in the 200-500 Hz frequency band during active conditions, 400

Meredith, Nigel; Horne, Richard; Kersten, Tobias; Li, Wen; Bortnik, Jacob; Sicard-Piet, elica; Yearby, Keith;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025226

plasmasphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belts; Van Allen Probes

Statistical Properties of Plasmaspheric Hiss from Van Allen Probes Observations

Van Allen Probes observations are used to statistically investigate plasmaspheric hiss wave properties. This analysis shows that the wave normal direction of plasmaspheric hiss is predominantly field aligned at larger L shells, with a bimodal distribution, consisting of a near-field aligned and a highly oblique component, becoming apparent at lower L shells. Investigation of this oblique population reveals that it is most prevalent at L < 3, frequencies with f/fce> 0.01 (or f> 700 Hz), low geomagnetic activity levels, and between 1900 and 0900 MLT. This structure is similar to that reported for oblique chorus waves in the equatorial region, perhaps suggesting a causal link between the two wave modes. Ray tracing results from HOTRAY confirm that is feasible for these oblique chorus waves to be a source of the observed oblique plasmaspheric hiss population. The decrease in oblique plasmaspheric hiss occurrence rates during more elevated geomagnetic activity levels may be attributed to the increase in Landau resonant electrons causing oblique chorus waves to be more substantially damped outside of the plasmasphere. In turn, this restricts the amount of wave power that can access the plasmasphere and evolve into oblique plasmaspheric hiss. These results confirm that, despite the difference in location of this bimodal distribution compared to previous studies, a direct link between oblique equatorial chorus outside of the plasmasphere and oblique hiss at low L shells is plausible. As such, these results are in keeping with the existing theory of chorus as the source of plasmaspheric hiss.

Hartley, D.; Kletzing, C.; ik, O.; Chen, L.; Horne, R.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 02/2018

YEAR: 2018     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024593

Bimodal; chorus waves; EMFISIS; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; wave normal angle

2017

Shock-induced disappearance and subsequent recovery of plasmaspheric hiss: Coordinated observations of RBSP, THEMIS and POES satellites

Plasmaspheric hiss is an extremely low frequency whistler-mode emission contributing significantly to the loss of radiation belt electrons. There are two main competing mechanisms for the generation of plasmaspheric hiss: excitation by local instability in the outer plasmasphere and origination from chorus outside the plasmasphere. Here, on the basis of the analysis of an event of shock-induced disappearance and subsequent recovery of plasmaspheric hiss observed by RBSP, THEMIS and POES missions, we attempt to identify its dominant generation mechanism. In the pre-shock plasmasphere, the local electron instability was relatively weak and the hiss waves with bidirectional Poynting fluxes mainly originated from the dayside chorus waves. On arrival of the shock, the removal of pre-existing dayside chorus and the insignificant variation of low-frequency wave instability caused the prompt disappearance of hiss waves. In the next few hours, the local instability in the plasmasphere was greatly enhanced due to the substorm injection of hot electrons. The enhancement of local instability likely played a dominant role in the temporary recovery of hiss with unidirectional Poynting fluxes. These temporarily recovered hiss waves were generated near the equator and then propagated toward higher latitudes. In contrast, both the enhancement of local instability and the recurrence of pre-noon chorus contributed to the substantial recovery of hiss with bidirectional Poynting fluxes.

Liu, Nigang; Su, Zhenpeng; Gao, Zhonglei; Reeves, G.; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 10/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024470

Chorus; interplanetary shock; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belt; substorm injection; Van Allen Probes; Wave-particle interaction

The characteristic response of whistler mode waves to interplanetary shocks

Magnetospheric whistler mode waves play a key role in regulating the dynamics of the electron radiation belts. Recent satellite observations indicate a significant influence of interplanetary (IP) shocks on whistler mode wave power in the inner magnetosphere. In this study, we statistically investigate the response of whistler mode chorus and plasmaspheric hiss to IP shocks based on Van Allen Probes and THEMIS satellite observations. Immediately after the IP shock arrival, chorus wave power is usually intensified, often at post-midnight to pre-noon sector, while plasmaspheric hiss wave power predominantly decreases near the dayside but intensifies near the nightside. We conclude that chorus wave intensification outside the plasmasphere is probably associated with the suprathermal electron flux enhancement caused by the IP shock. Through a simple ray tracing modeling assuming the scenario that plasmaspheric hiss is originated from chorus, we find that the solar wind dynamic pressure increase changes the magnetic field configuration to favor ray penetration in the nightside and promote ray refraction away from the dayside, potentially explaining the magnetic local time (MLT) dependent responses of plasmaspheric hiss waves following IP shock arrivals.

Yue, Chao; Chen, Lunjin; Bortnik, Jacob; Ma, Qianli; Thorne, Richard; Angelopoulos, Vassilis; Li, Jinxing; An, Xin; Zhou, Chen; Kletzing, Craig; Reeves, Geoffrey; Spence, Harlan;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024574

IP shocks; MLT dependent; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Ray Tracing; Van Allen Probes; whistler mode chorus

Statistical Properties of Low Frequency Plasmaspheric Hiss

Plasmaspheric hiss is an important wave mode for the dynamics of inner terrestrial magnetosphere plasma populations. It acts to scatter high energy electrons out of trapped orbits about Earth and into the atmosphere, defining the inner edge of the radiation belts over a range of energies. A low-frequency component of hiss was recently identified and is important for its ability to interact with higher energy electrons compared to typically considered hiss frequencies. This study compares the statistical properties of low and high frequency plasmaspheric hiss in the terrestrial magnetosphere, demonstrating that they are statistically distinct wave populations. Low frequency hiss shows different behavior in frequency space, different spatial localization (in magnetic local time and radial distance), and different amplitude distributions compared to high frequency hiss. The observed statistical properties of low frequency hiss are found to be consistent with recently developed theories for low frequency hiss generation. The results presented here suggest that careful consideration of low frequency hiss properties can be important for accurate inclusion of this wave population in predictive models of inner magnetosphere plasma dynamics.

Malaspina, David; Jaynes, Allison; Hospodarsky, George; Bortnik, Jacob; Ergun, Robert; Wygant, John;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 07/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2017JA024328

inner magnetosphere; plasma waves; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; Wave Statistics

Propagation characteristics of plasmaspheric hiss: Van Allen Probe observations and global empirical models

Based on the Van Allen Probe A observations from 1 October 2012 to 31 December 2014, we develop two empirical models to respectively describe the hiss wave normal angle (WNA) and amplitude variations in the Earth\textquoterights plasmasphere for different substorm activities. The long-term observations indicate that the plasmaspheric hiss amplitudes on the dayside increase when substorm activity is enhanced (AE index increases), and the dayside hiss amplitudes are greater than the nightside. However, the propagation angles (WNAs) of hiss waves in most regions do not depend strongly on substorm activity, except for the intense substorm-induced increase in WNAs in the nightside low L-region. The propagation angles of plasmaspheric hiss increase with increasing magnetic latitude or decreasing radial distance (L-value). The global hiss WNAs (the power-weighted averages in each grid) and amplitudes (medians) can be well reproduced by our empirical models.

Yu, J.; Li, L; Cao, J.; Chen, L.; Wang, J.; Yang, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 04/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023372

hiss amplitude model; hiss wave amplitude; Plasmaspheric Hiss; propagation angle model of hiss waves; substorm dependence; Van Allen Probes; wave normal angle

Simultaneous disappearances of plasmaspheric hiss, exohiss, and chorus waves triggered by a sudden decrease in solar wind dynamic pressure

Magnetospheric whistler mode waves are of great importance in the radiation belt electron dynamics. Here on the basis of the analysis of a rare event with the simultaneous disappearances of whistler mode plasmaspheric hiss, exohiss, and chorus triggered by a sudden decrease in the solar wind dynamic pressure, we provide evidences for the following physical scenarios: (1) nonlinear generation of chorus controlled by the geomagnetic field inhomogeneity, (2) origination of plasmaspheric hiss from chorus, and (3) leakage of plasmaspheric hiss into exohiss. Following the reduction of the solar wind dynamic pressure, the dayside geomagnetic field configuration with the enhanced inhomogeneity became unfavorable for the generation of chorus, and the quenching of chorus directly caused the disappearances of plasmaspheric hiss and then exohiss.

Liu, Nigang; Su, Zhenpeng; Gao, Zhonglei; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; Funsten, H.; Wygant, J.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 01/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL071987

Chorus; Exohiss; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; wave disappearance; wave generation

Simultaneous disappearances of plasmaspheric hiss, exohiss, and chorus waves triggered by a sudden decrease in solar wind dynamic pressure

Magnetospheric whistler mode waves are of great importance in the radiation belt electron dynamics. Here on the basis of the analysis of a rare event with the simultaneous disappearances of whistler mode plasmaspheric hiss, exohiss, and chorus triggered by a sudden decrease in the solar wind dynamic pressure, we provide evidences for the following physical scenarios: (1) nonlinear generation of chorus controlled by the geomagnetic field inhomogeneity, (2) origination of plasmaspheric hiss from chorus, and (3) leakage of plasmaspheric hiss into exohiss. Following the reduction of the solar wind dynamic pressure, the dayside geomagnetic field configuration with the enhanced inhomogeneity became unfavorable for the generation of chorus, and the quenching of chorus directly caused the disappearances of plasmaspheric hiss and then exohiss.

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 01/2017

YEAR: 2017     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL071987

Chorus; Exohiss; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; wave disappearance; wave generation

2016

Characteristic energy range of electron scattering due to plasmaspheric hiss

We investigate the characteristic energy range of electron flux decay due to the interaction with plasmaspheric hiss in the Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere. The Van Allen Probes have measured the energetic electron flux decay profiles in the Earth\textquoterights outer radiation belt during a quiet period following the geomagnetic storm that occurred on 7 November 2015. The observed energy of significant electron decay increases with decreasing L shell and is well correlated with the energy band corresponding to the first adiabatic invariant μ = 4\textendash200 MeV/G. The electron diffusion coefficients due to hiss scattering are calculated at L = 2\textendash6, and the modeled energy band of effective pitch angle scattering is also well correlated with the constant μ lines and is consistent with the observed energy range of electron decay. Using the previously developed statistical plasmaspheric hiss model during modestly disturbed periods, we perform a 2-D Fokker-Planck simulation of the electron phase space density evolution at L = 3.5 and demonstrate that plasmaspheric hiss causes the significant decay of 100 keV\textendash1 MeV electrons with the largest decay rate occurring at around 340 keV, forming anisotropic pitch angle distributions at lower energies and more flattened distributions at higher energies. Our study provides reasonable estimates of the electron populations that can be most significantly affected by plasmaspheric hiss and the consequent electron decay profiles.

Ma, Q.; Li, W.; Thorne, R.; Bortnik, J.; Reeves, G.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; Fennell, J.; Claudepierre, S.; Angelopoulos, V.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 11/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023311

electron flux decay; pitch angle scattering; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; Van Allen Probes observation

Hiss or Equatorial Noise? Ambiguities in Analyzing Suprathermal Ion Plasma Wave Resonance

Previous studies have shown that low energy ion heating occurs in the magnetosphere due to strong equatorial noise emission. Observations from the Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) instrument recently determined there was a depletion in the 1-10 eV ion population in the post-midnight sector of Earth during quiet times at L < 3. The diurnal variation of equatorially mirroring 1-10 eV H+ ions between 2 < L < 3 is connected with similar diurnal variation in the electric field component of plasma waves ranging between 150 and 600 Hz. Measurements from the Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) data set are used to analyze waves of this frequency in near-Earth space. However, when we examine the polarization of the waves in the 150 to 600 Hz range in the equatorial plane, the majority are right-hand polarized plasmaspheric hiss waves. The 1-10 eV H+ equatorially mirroring population does not interact with right hand waves, despite a strong statistical relationship suggesting the two is linked. We present evidence supporting the relationship, both in our own work and the literature, but we ultimately conclude that the 1-10 eV H+ heating is not related to the strong enhancement of 150 to 600 Hz waves.

Sarno-Smith, Lois; Liemohn, Michael; Skoug, Ruth; ik, Ondrej; Morley, Steven; Breneman, Aaron; Larsen, Brian; Reeves, Geoff; Wygant, John; Hospodarsky, George; Kletzing, Craig; Moldwin, Mark; Katus, Roxanne; Zou, Shasha;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022975

equatorial noise; Low Energy Ions; plasma waves; plasmasphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes

Observational evidence of the nonlinear wave growth theory of plasmaspheric hiss

We test the recently developed nonlinear wave growth theory of plasmaspheric hiss against discrete rising tone elements of hiss emissions observed by the Van Allen Probes. From the phase variation of the waveforms processed by bandpass filters, we calculate the instantaneous frequencies and wave amplitudes. We obtain the theoretical relation between the wave amplitude and frequency sweep rates at the observation point by applying the convective growth rates and dispersion factors to the known relation at the equator. By plotting the theoretical relation over scatterplots of the wave amplitudes and the frequency sweep rates for rising tone elements, we find good agreement between the hiss observations and the nonlinear theory. We also find that the duration periods of the hiss elements are in good agreement with the nonlinear transition time necessary for the formation of a resonant current through coherent nonlinear wave-particle interactions.

Nakamura, Satoko; Omura, Yoshiharu; Summers, Danny; Kletzing, Craig;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 09/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016GL070333

magnetospheric dynamics; nonlinear wave growth theory; plasma wave; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; whistler-mode chorus

Wave-driven gradual loss of energetic electrons in the slot region

Resonant pitch angle scattering by plasmaspheric hiss has long been considered to be responsible for the energetic electron loss in the slot region, but the detailed quantitative comparison between theory and observations is still lacking. Here we focus on the loss of 100\textendash600 keV electrons at L = 3 during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm on 28 June 2013. Van Allen Probes data showed the concurrence of intense (with power up to 10-4 nT2/Hz) plasmaspheric hiss waves and significant (up to 1 order) loss of energetic electrons within 2 days. Our quasi-linear diffusion simulations show that hiss scattering can basically reproduce the temporal evolution of the angular distribution of the observed electron flux decay. This quantitative analysis provides further support for the mechanism of hiss-driven electron loss in the slot region.

He, Zhaoguo; Yan, Qi; Chu, Yuchuan; Cao, Yong;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 09/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023087

electron loss; energetic electron; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Slot region; Van Allen Probes; Wave-particle interaction

The relationship between the plasmapause and outer belt electrons

We quantify the spatial relationship between the plasmapause and outer belt electrons for a 5 day period, 15\textendash20 January 2013, by comparing locations of relativistic electron flux peaks to the plasmapause. A peak-finding algorithm is applied to 1.8\textendash7.7 MeV relativistic electron flux data. A plasmapause gradient finder is applied to wave-derived electron number densities >10 cm-3. We identify two outer belts. Outer belt 1 is a stable zone of >3 MeV electrons located 1\textendash2 RE inside the plasmapause. Outer belt 2 is a dynamic zone of <3 MeV electrons within 0.5 RE of the moving plasmapause. Electron fluxes earthward of each belt\textquoterights peak are anticorrelated with cold plasma density. Belt 1 decayed on hiss timescales prior to a disturbance on 17 January and suffered only a modest dropout, perhaps owing to shielding by the plasmasphere. Afterward, the partially depleted belt 1 continued to decay at the initial rate. Belt 2 was emptied out by strong disturbance-time losses but restored within 24 h. For global context we use a plasmapause test particle simulation and derive a new plasmaspheric index Fp, the fraction of a circular drift orbit inside the plasmapause. We find that the locally measured plasmapause is (for this event) a good proxy for the globally integrated opportunity for losses in cold plasma. Our analysis of the 15\textendash20 January 2013 time interval confirms that high-energy electron storage rings can persist for weeks or even months if prolonged quiet conditions prevail. This case study must be followed up by more general study (not limited to a 5 day period).

Goldstein, J.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; De Pascuale, S.; Funsten, H.; Jaynes, A.; Jahn, J.-M.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Li, W.; Reeves, G.; Spence, H.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 08/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023046

Plasmapause; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belts; simulation; storm-time dropouts; Van Allen Probes

Nonstorm time dropout of radiation belt electron fluxes on 24 September 2013

Radiation belt electron flux dropouts during the main phase of geomagnetic storms have received increasing attention in recent years. Here we focus on a rarely reported nonstorm time dropout event observed by Van Allen Probes on 24 September 2013. Within several hours, the radiation belt electron fluxes exhibited a significant (up to 2 orders of magnitude) depletion over a wide range of radial distances (L > 4.5), energies (\~500 keV to several MeV) and equatorial pitch angles (0\textdegree<=αe<=180\textdegree). STEERB simulations show that the relativistic electron loss in the region L = 4.5\textendash6.0 was primarily caused by the pitch angle scattering of observed plasmaspheric hiss and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. Our results emphasize the complexity of radiation belt dynamics and the importance of wave-driven precipitation loss even during nonstorm times.

Su, Zhenpeng; Gao, Zhonglei; Zhu, Hui; Li, Wen; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; Funsten, H.; Wygant, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 07/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022546

EMIC; numerical modeling; Plasmaspheric Hiss; precipitation loss; radiation belt dropout; Van Allen Probes; Wave-particle interaction

Evolution of chorus emissions into plasmaspheric hiss observed by Van Allen Probes

The two classes of whistler mode waves (chorus and hiss) play different roles in the dynamics of radiation belt energetic electrons. Chorus can efficiently accelerate energetic electrons, and hiss is responsible for the loss of energetic electrons. Previous studies have proposed that chorus is the source of plasmaspheric hiss, but this still requires an observational confirmation because the previously observed chorus and hiss emissions were not in the same frequency range in the same time. Here we report simultaneous observations form Van Allen Probes that chorus and hiss emissions occurred in the same range \~300\textendash1500 Hz with the peak wave power density about 10-5 nT2/Hz during a weak storm on 3 July 2014. Chorus emissions propagate in a broad region outside the plasmapause. Meanwhile, hiss emissions are confined inside the plasmasphere, with a higher intensity and a broader area at a lower frequency. A sum of bi-Maxwellian distribution is used to model the observed anisotropic electron distributions and to evaluate the instability of waves. A three-dimensional ray tracing simulation shows that a portion of chorus emission outside the plasmasphere can propagate into the plasmasphere and evolve into plasmaspheric hiss. Moreover, hiss waves below 1 kHz are more intense and propagate over a broader area than those above 1 kHz, consistent with the observation. The current results can explain distributions of the observed hiss emission and provide a further support for the mechanism of evolution of chorus into hiss emissions.

Zhou, Qinghua; Xiao, Fuliang; Yang, Chang; Liu, Si; He, Yihua; Wygant, J.; Baker, D.; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Funsten, H.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022366

chorus waves; Plasmaspheric Hiss; RBSP results; Van Allen Probes

Using the cold plasma dispersion relation and whistler-mode waves to quantify the antenna sheath impedance of the Van Allen Probes EFW instrument

Cold plasma theory and parallel wave propagation are often assumed when approximating the whistler mode magnetic field wave power from electric field observations. The current study is the first to include the wave normal angle from the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science package on board the Van Allen Probes in the conversion factor, thus allowing for the accuracy of these assumptions to be quantified. Results indicate that removing the assumption of parallel propagation does not significantly affect calculated plasmaspheric hiss wave powers. Hence, the assumption of parallel propagation is valid. For chorus waves, inclusion of the wave normal angle in the conversion factor leads to significant alterations in the distribution of wave power ratios (observed/ calculated); the percentage of overestimates decreases, the percentage of underestimates increases, and the spread of values is significantly reduced. Calculated plasmaspheric hiss wave powers are, on average, a good estimate of those observed, whereas calculated chorus wave powers are persistently and systematically underestimated. Investigation of wave power ratios (observed/calculated), as a function of frequency and plasma density, reveals a structure consistent with signal attenuation via the formation of a plasma sheath around the Electric Field and Waves spherical double probes instrument. A simple, density-dependent model is developed in order to quantify this effect of variable impedance between the electric field antenna and the plasma interface. This sheath impedance model is then demonstrated to be successful in significantly improving agreement between calculated and observed power spectra and wave powers.

Hartley, D.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Bounds, S.; Averkamp, T.; Hospodarsky, G.; Wygant, J.; Bonnell, J.; ik, O.; Watt, C.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2016

YEAR: 2016     DOI: 10.1002/2016JA022501

EFW; EMFISIS; Plasmaspheric Hiss; sheath impedance; Van Allen Probes; whistler mode chorus

2015

Global Empirical Models of Plasmaspheric Hiss using Van Allen Probes

Plasmaspheric hiss is a whistler mode emission that permeates the Earth\textquoterights plasmasphere and is a significant driver of energetic electron losses through cyclotron-resonant pitch angle scattering. The EMFISIS instrument on the Van Allen Probes mission provides vastly improved measurements of the hiss wave environment including continuous measurements of the wave magnetic field cross-spectral matrix and enhanced low frequency coverage. Here, we develop empirical models of hiss wave intensity using two years of Van Allen Probes data. First, we describe the construction of the hiss database. Then, we compare the hiss spectral distribution and integrated wave amplitude obtained from Van Allen Probes to those previously extracted from the CRRES mission. Next, we develop a cubic regression model of the average hiss magnetic field intensity as a function of Kp, L, magnetic latitude and magnetic local time. We use the full regression model to explore general trends in the data and use insights from the model to develop a simplified model of wave intensity for straightforward inclusion in quasi-linear diffusion calculations of electron scattering rates.

Spasojevic, M.; Shprits, Y.Y.; Orlova, K.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 11/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021803

Electron scattering; Empirical Model; inner magnetosphere; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes

Multiple loss processes of relativistic electrons outside the heart of outer radiation belt during a storm sudden commencement

By examining the compression-induced changes in the electron phase space density and pitch angle distribution observed by two satellites of Van Allen Probes (RBSP-A/B), we find that the relativistic electrons (>2MeV) outside the heart of outer radiation belt (L*>= 5) undergo multiple losses during a storm sudden commencement (SSC). The relativistic electron loss mainly occurs in the field-aligned direction (pitch angle α< 30\textdegree or >150\textdegree), and the flux decay of the field-aligned electrons is independent of the spatial location variations of the two satellites. However, the relativistic electrons in the pitch angle range of 30\textdegree-150\textdegree increase (decrease) with the decreasing (increasing) geocentric distance (|ΔL|< 0.25) of the RBSP-B (RBSP-A) location, and the electron fluxes in the quasi-perpendicular direction display energy-dispersive oscillations in the Pc5 period range (2 - 10min). The relativistic electron loss is confirmed by the decrease of electron phase space density at high-L shell after the magnetospheric compressions, and their loss is associated with the intense plasmaspheric hiss, electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves, relativistic electron precipitation (observed by POES/NOAA satellites at 850km) and magnetic field fluctuations in the Pc5 band. The intense EMIC waves and whistler-mode hiss jointly cause the rapidly pitch angle scattering loss of the relativistic electrons within 10 hours. Moreover, the Pc5 ULF waves also lead to the slowly outward radial diffusion of the relativistic electrons in the high-L region with a negative electron phase space density gradient.

Yu, J.; Li, L.Y.; Cao, J.; Yuan, Z.; Reeves, G.; Baker, D.; Blake, J.; Spence, H.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 11/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021460

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves; outer radiation belt; Outward radial diffusion driven by ULF waves; Plasmaspheric Hiss; relativistic electron loss; Storm sudden commencement; Van Allen Probes

Analysis of plasmaspheric hiss wave amplitudes inferred from low-altitude POES electron data: Validation with conjunctive Van Allen Probes observations

Plasmaspheric hiss plays an important role in controlling the overall structure and dynamics of the Earth\textquoterights radiation belts. The interaction of plasmaspheric hiss with radiation belt electrons is commonly evaluated using diffusion codes, which rely on statistical models of wave observations that may not accurately reproduce the instantaneous global wave distribution, or the limited in-situ satellite wave measurements from satellites. This paper evaluates the performance and limitations of a novel technique capable of inferring wave amplitudes from low-altitude electron flux observations from the POES spacecraft, which provide extensive coverage in L-shell and MLT. We found that, within its limitations, this technique could potentially be used to build a dynamic global model of the plasmaspheric hiss wave intensity. The technique is validated by analyzing the conjunctions between the POES spacecraft and the Van Allen Probes from September 2012 to June 2014. The technique performs well for moderate-to-strong hiss activity (>=30 pT) with sufficiently high electron fluxes. The main source of these limitations is the number of counts of energetic electrons measured by the POES spacecraft capable of resonating with hiss waves. For moderate-to-strong hiss events, the results show that the wave amplitudes from the EMFISIS instruments onboard the Van Allen Probes are well reproduced by the POES technique, which provides more consistent estimates than the parameterized statistical hiss wave model based on CRRES data.

de Soria-Santacruz, M.; Li, W.; Thorne, R.; Ma, Q.; Bortnik, J.; Ni, B.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 10/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021148

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; wave-particle interactions; Waves global model

Statistical properties of plasmaspheric hiss derived from Van Allen Probes data and their Effects on radiation belt electron dynamics

Plasmaspheric hiss is known to play an important role in controlling the overall structure and dynamics of radiation belt electrons inside the plasmasphere. Using newly available Van Allen Probes wave data, which provide excellent coverage in the entire inner magnetosphere, we evaluate the global distribution of the hiss wave frequency spectrum and wave intensity for different levels of substorm activity. Our statistical results show that observed hiss peak frequencies are generally lower than the commonly adopted value (~550 Hz), which was in frequent use, and that the hiss wave power frequently extends below 100 Hz, particularly at larger L shells (> ~3) on the dayside during enhanced levels of substorm activity. We also compare electron pitch angle scattering rates caused by hiss using the new statistical frequency spectrum and the previously adopted Gaussian spectrum and find that the differences are up to a factor of ~5 and are dependent on energy and L shell. Moreover, the new statistical hiss wave frequency spectrum including wave power below 100 Hz leads to increased pitch angle scattering rates by a factor of ~1.5 for electrons above ~100 keV at L~5, although their effect is negligible at L <= 3. Consequently, we suggest that the new realistic hiss wave frequency spectrum should be incorporated into future modeling of radiation belt electron dynamics.

Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Thorne, R.; Bortnik, J.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Nishimura, Y.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015JA021048

hiss diffusion coefficient; hiss frequency spectrum; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes

Analysis of plasmaspheric hiss wave amplitudes inferred from low-altitude POES electron data: Technique sensitivity analysis

A novel technique capable of inferring wave amplitudes from low-altitude electron measurements from the POES spacecraft has been previously proposed to construct a global dynamic model of chorus and plasmaspheric hiss waves. In this paper we focus on plasmaspheric hiss, which is an incoherent broadband emission that plays a dominant role in the loss of energetic electrons from the inner magnetosphere. We analyze the sensitivity of the POES technique to different inputs used to infer the hiss wave amplitudes during three conjunction events with the Van Allen Probes. These amplitudes are calculated with different input models of the plasma density, wave frequency spectrum, and electron energy spectrum, and the results are compared to the wave observations from the twin Van Allen Probes. Only one parameter is varied at a time in order to isolate its effect on the output, while the two other inputs are set to the values observed by the Van Allen Probes. The results show that the predicted hiss amplitudes are most sensitive to the adopted frequency spectrum, followed by the plasma density, but they are not very sensitive to the electron energy spectrum. Moreover, the standard Gaussian representation of the wave frequency spectrum (centered at 550 Hz) peaks at frequencies that are much higher than those observed in individual cases as well as in statistical wave distributions, which produces large overestimates of the hiss wave amplitude. For this reason, a realistic statistical model of the wave frequency spectrum should be used in the POES technique to infer the plasmaspheric hiss wave intensity rather than a standard Gaussian distribution, since the former better reproduces the observed plasmaspheric hiss wave amplitudes.

de Soria-Santacruz, M.; Li, W.; Thorne, R.; Ma, Q.; Bortnik, J.; Ni, B.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.D.; Blake, J.; Fennell, J.;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 04/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020941

Plasmaspheric Hiss; POES technique; Van Allen Probes; Waves global model

Disappearance of plasmaspheric hiss following interplanetary shock

Plasmaspheric hiss is one of the important plasma waves controlling radiation belt dynamics. Its spatiotemporal distribution and generation mechanism are presently the object of active research. We here give the first report on the shock-induced disappearance of plasmaspheric hiss observed by the Van Allen Probes on 8 October 2013. This special event exhibits the dramatic variability of plasmaspheric hiss and provides a good opportunity to test its generation mechanisms. The origination of plasmaspheric hiss from plasmatrough chorus is suggested to be an appropriate prerequisite to explain this event. The shock increased the suprathermal electron fluxes, and then the enhanced Landau damping promptly prevented chorus waves from entering the plasmasphere. Subsequently, the shrinking magnetopause removed the source electrons for chorus, contributing significantly to the several-hours-long disappearance of plasmaspheric hiss.

Su, Zhenpeng; Zhu, Hui; Xiao, Fuliang; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Shen, Chao; Zhang, Min; Wang, Shui; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Funsten, H.; Blake, J.; Baker, D.; Wygant, J.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 03/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2015GL063906

Cyclotron instability; Cyclotron resonance; interplanetary shock; Landau damping; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belt; Van Allen Probes

Plasmatrough exohiss waves observed by Van Allen Probes: Evidence for leakage from plasmasphere and resonant scattering of radiation belt electrons

Exohiss waves are whistler mode hiss observed in the plasmatrough region. We present a case study of exohiss waves and the corresponding background plasma distributions observed by the Van Allen Probes in the dayside low-latitude region. The analysis of wave Poynting fluxes, suprathermal electron fluxes and cold electron densities supports the scenario that exohiss leaks from the plasmasphere into the plasmatrough. Quasilinear calculations further reveal that exohiss can potentially cause the resonant scattering loss of radiation belt electrons ~

Zhu, Hui; Su, Zhenpeng; Xiao, Fuliang; Zheng, Huinan; Wang, Yuming; Shen, Chao; Xian, Tao; Wang, Shui; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Funsten, H.; Blake, J.; Baker, D.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 02/2015

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062964

Cyclotron resonance; Exohiss; Landau damping; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Radiation belt electron loss; Van Allen Probes

2014

Fine structure of plasmaspheric hiss

Plasmaspheric hiss has been widely regarded as a broadband, structureless, incoherent emission. In this study, by examining burst-mode vector waveform data from the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) instrument on the Van Allen Probes mission, we show that plasmaspheric hiss is a coherent emission with complex fine structure. Specifically, plasmaspheric hiss appears as discrete rising tone and falling tone elements. Our study comprises the analysis of two one-hour samples within which a total of 8 one-second samples were analyzed. By means of waveform analysis on two samples we identify typical amplitudes, phase profiles, and sweep rates of the rising and falling tone elements. The exciting new observations reported here can be expected to fuel a re-examination of the properties of plasmaspheric hiss, including a further re-analysis of the generation mechanism for hiss.

Summers, Danny; Omura, Yoshiharu; Nakamura, Satoko; Kletzing, Craig;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 12/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020437

Plasmaspheric Hiss; Van Allen Probes; whistler mode waves

Generation of Unusually Low Frequency Plasmaspheric Hiss

It has been reported from Van Allen Probe observations that plasmaspheric hiss intensification in the outer plasmasphere, associated with a substorm injection on Sept 30 2012, occurred with a peak frequency near 100 Hz, well below the typical plasmaspheric hiss frequency range, extending down to ~20 Hz. We examine this event of unusually low frequency plasmaspheric hiss to understand its generation mechanism. Quantitative analysis is performed by simulating wave ray paths via the HOTRAY ray tracing code with measured plasma density and calculating ray path-integrated wave gain evaluated using the measured energetic electron distribution. We demonstrate that the growth rate due to substorm injected electrons is positive but rather weak, leading to small wave gain (~10 dB) during a single equatorial crossing. Propagation characteristics aided by the sharp density gradient associated with the plasmapause, however, can enable these low frequency waves to undergo cyclic ray paths, which return to the unstable region leading to repeated amplification to yield sufficient net wave gain (>40 dB) to allow waves to grow from the thermal noise.

Chen, Lunjin; Thorne, Richard; Bortnik, Jacob; Li, Wen; Horne, Richard; Reeves, G.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Blake, J.; Fennell, J.;

Published by: Geophysical Research Letters      Published on: 08/2014

YEAR: 2014     DOI: 10.1002/2014GL060628

Chorus; Generation; Plasmaspheric Hiss; Ray Tracing; Van Allen Probes



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