Ducted Chorus Waves Cause Sub‐Relativistic and Relativistic Electron Microbursts
Abstract
During magnetospheric storms, radiation belt electrons are produced and then removed by collisions with the lower atmosphere on varying timescales. An efficient loss process is microbursts, strong, transient precipitation of electrons over a wide energy range, from tens of keV to sub‐relativistic and relativistic energies (100s keV and above). However, the detailed generation mechanism of microbursts, especially over sub‐relativistic and relativistic energies, remains unknown. Here, we show that these energetic electron microbursts may be caused by ducted whistler‐mode lower‐band chorus waves. Using observations of equatorial chorus waves nearby low‐altitude precipitation as well as data‐driven simulations, we demonstrate that the observed microbursts are the result of resonant interaction of electrons with ducted chorus waves rather than nonducted ones. Revealing the physical mechanism behind the microbursts advances our understanding of radiation belt dynamics and its impact on the lower atmosphere and space weather.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1029/2021gl097559
Entities
People
- Anton V. Artemyev
- Colin Wilkins
- Ethan Tsai
- Lunjin Chen
- Richard B. Horne
- Vassilis Angelopoulos
- Xiao-Jia Zhang
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- British Antarctic Survey
- Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Texas at Dallas