EMIC Wave-Driven Bounce Resonance Scattering of Energetic Electrons in the Inner Magnetosphere

Author
Keywords
Abstract
While electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves have been long studied as a scattering mechanism for ultrarelativistic (megaelectron volt) electrons via cyclotron-resonant interactions, these waves are also of the right frequency to resonate with the bounce motion of lower-energy (approximately tens to hundreds of kiloelectron volts) electrons. Here we investigate the effectiveness of this bounce resonance interaction to better determine the effects of EMIC waves on subrelativistic electron populations in Earth\textquoterights inner magnetosphere. Using wave and plasma parameters directly measured by the Van Allen Probes, we estimate bounce resonance diffusion coefficients for four different events, illustrative of wave and plasma parameters to be encountered in the inner magnetosphere. The range of electron energies and pitch angles affected is examined to better assess the realistic effects of EMIC-driven bounce resonance on energetic electron populations based on actual, locally observed event-based parameters. Significant local diffusion coefficients (~ > 10-6 s-1) for 50- to 100-keV electrons are achieved for both H+ band wave events as well as He+ band, with diffusion coefficients peaking for near-90\textdegree pitch angles but remaining elevated for intermediate ones as well. Diffusion coefficients for higher-energy 200-keV electrons are typically multiple orders of magnitude lower (ranging from 10-11 to 10-6 s-1) and often peak at lower pitch angles (~20\textendash30\textdegree). These results suggest that both H+ and He+ band EMIC waves can play a role in shaping lower-energy electron dynamics via bounce-resonant interactions, in addition to their role in relativistic electron loss via cyclotron resonance.
Year of Publication
2019
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Date Published
03/2019
ISSN Number
2169-9380
URL
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018JA026427
DOI
10.1029/2018JA026427
Download citation