Bibliography

Investigating Loss of Relativistic Electrons Associated With EMIC Waves at Low L Values on 22 June 2015

In this study, rapid loss of relativistic radiation belt electrons at low L* values (2.4\textendash3.2) during a strong geomagnetic storm on 22 June 2015 is investigated along with five possible loss mechanisms. Both the particle and wave data are obtained from the Van Allen Probes. Duskside H+ band electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves were observed during a rapid decrease of relativistic electrons with energy above 5.2 MeV occurring outside the plasmasphere during extreme magnetopause compression. Lower He+ composition and enriched O+ composition are found compared to typical values assumed in other studies of cyclotron resonant scattering of relativistic electrons by EMIC waves. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that even with the existence of He+ band EMIC waves, it is the H+ band EMIC waves that are likely to cause the depletion at small pitch angles and strong gradients in pitch angle distributions of relativistic electrons with energy above 5.2 MeV at low L values for this event. Very low frequency wave activity at other magnetic local time can be favorable for the loss of relativistic electrons at higher pitch angles. An illustrative calculation that combines the nominal pitch angle scattering rate due to whistler mode chorus at high pitch angles with the H+ band EMIC wave loss rate at low pitch angles produces loss on time scale observed at L=2.4\textendash3.2. At high L values and lower energies, radial loss to the magnetopause is a viable explanation.

Qin, Murong; Hudson, Mary; Li, Zhao; Millan, Robyn; Shen, Xiaochen; Shprits, Yuri; Woodger, Leslie; Jaynes, Allison; Kletzing, Craig;

Published by: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics      Published on: 05/2019

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA025726

cold ion composition; EMIC wave; minimum resonant energy; pitch angle diffusion; quasi-linear theory; relativistic electron loss; Van Allen Probes

Energetic Electron Precipitation: Multievent Analysis of Its Spatial Extent During EMIC Wave Activity

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves can drive precipitation of tens of keV protons and relativistic electrons, and are a potential candidate for causing radiation belt flux dropouts. In this study, we quantitatively analyze three cases of EMIC-driven precipitation, which occurred near the dusk sector observed by multiple Low-Earth-Orbiting (LEO) Polar Operational Environmental Satellites/Meteorological Operational satellite programme (POES/MetOp) satellites. During EMIC wave activity, the proton precipitation occurred from few tens of keV up to hundreds of keV, while the electron precipitation was mainly at relativistic energies. We compare observations of electron precipitation with calculations using quasi-linear theory. For all cases, we consider the effects of other magnetospheric waves observed simultaneously with EMIC waves, namely, plasmaspheric hiss and magnetosonic waves, and find that the electron precipitation at MeV energies was predominantly caused by EMIC-driven pitch angle scattering. Interestingly, each precipitation event observed by a LEO satellite extended over a limited L shell region (ΔL ~ 0.3 on average), suggesting that the pitch angle scattering caused by EMIC waves occurs only when favorable conditions are met, likely in a localized region. Furthermore, we take advantage of the LEO constellation to explore the occurrence of precipitation at different L shells and magnetic local time sectors, simultaneously with EMIC wave observations near the equator (detected by Van Allen Probes) or at the ground (measured by magnetometers). Our analysis shows that although EMIC waves drove precipitation only in a narrow ΔL, electron precipitation was triggered at various locations as identified by POES/MetOp over a rather broad region (up to ~4.4 hr MLT and ~1.4 L shells) with similar patterns between satellites.

Capannolo, L.; Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Shen, X.-C.; Zhang, X.-J.; Redmon, R.; Rodriguez, J.; Engebretson, M.; Kletzing, C.; Kurth, W.; Hospodarsky, G.; Spence, H.; Reeves, G.; Raita, T.;

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

YEAR: 2019     DOI: 10.1029/2018JA026291

EMIC waves; energetic electron precipitation; pitch angle scattering; quasi-linear theory; radiation belts dropouts; Van Allen Probes

Estimation of pitch angle diffusion rates and precipitation time scales of electrons due to EMIC waves in a realistic field model

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are closely related to precipitating loss of relativistic electrons in the radiation belts, and thereby, a model of the radiation belts requires inclusion of the pitch angle diffusion caused by EMIC waves. We estimated the pitch angle diffusion rates and the corresponding precipitation time scales caused by H and He band EMIC waves using the Tsyganenko 04 (T04) magnetic field model at their probable regions in terms of geomagnetic conditions. The results correspond to enhanced pitch angle diffusion rates and reduced precipitation time scales compared to those based on the dipole model, up to several orders of magnitude for storm times. While both the plasma density and the magnetic field strength varied in these calculations, the reduction of the magnetic field strength predicted by the T04 model was found to be the main cause of the enhanced diffusion rates relative to those with the dipole model for the same Li values, where Li is defined from the ionospheric foot points of the field lines. We note that the bounce-averaged diffusion rates were roughly proportional to the inversion of the equatorial magnetic field strength and thus suggest that scaling the diffusion rates with the magnetic field strength provides a good approximation to account for the effect of the realistic field model in the EMIC wave-pitch angle diffusion modeling.

Bin Kang, Suk-; Min, Kyoung-Wook; Fok, Mei-Ching; Hwang, Junga; Choi, Cheong-Rim;

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

YEAR: 2015     DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020644

EMIC waves; pitch angle diffusion rate; precipitation time scale; quasi-linear theory; realistic field model; Relativistic electron