skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Global Model of Whistler Mode Chorus in the Near‐Equatorial Region (| λ m |<  18°)
Abstract We extend our database of whistler mode chorus, based on data from seven satellites, by including ∼3 years of data from Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)‐A and RBSP‐B and an additional ∼6 years of data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS)‐A, THEMIS‐D, and THEMIS‐E. The new database allows us to probe the near‐equatorial region in detail, revealing new features. In the equatorial source region, |λm|<6°, strong wave power is most extensive in the 0.1–0.4fcebands in the region 21–11 magnetic local time (MLT) from the plasmapause out toL = 8 and beyond, especially near dawn. At higher frequencies, in the 0.4–0.6fcefrequency bands, strong wave power is more tightly confined, typically being restricted to the postmidnight sector in the region 4<L<6. The global distribution of strong chorus wave power changes dramatically with increasing magnetic latitude, with strong chorus waves in the region 12<|λm|<18° predominantly observed at frequencies below 0.3fcein the prenoon sector, in the region 5<L<8.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1847818
PAR ID:
10375305
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume:
47
Issue:
11
ISSN:
0094-8276
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract We present statistical distributions of whistler‐mode chorus and hiss waves at frequencies ranging from the local proton gyrofrequency to the equatorial electron gyrofrequency (fce,eq) in Jupiter's magnetosphere based on Juno measurements. The chorus wave power spectral densities usually follow thefce,eqvariation with major wave power concentrated in the 0.05fce,eq–fce,eqfrequency range. The hiss wave frequencies are less dependent onfce,eqvariation than chorus with major power concentrated below 0.05fce,eq, showing a separation from chorus atM < 10. Our survey indicates that chorus waves are mainly observed at 5.5 < M < 13 from the magnetic equator to 20° latitude, consistent with local wave generation near the equator and damping effects. The hiss wave powers extend to 50° latitude, suggesting longer wave propagation paths without attenuation. Our survey also includes the whistler‐mode waves at high latitudes which may originate from the Io footprint, auroral hiss, or propagating hiss waves reflected to highMshells. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) data show that seed electrons generated by sub‐storm injections play a role in amplifying chorus waves in the magnetosphere. The wave‐particle interaction leads to rapid heating and acceleration of electrons from 10's of keV to 10's of MeV energies. In this work, we examined the changes in the radiation belt during geomagnetic storm events by studying the RBSP REPT, solar wind, AL, SML, and Dst data in conjunction with the WINDMI model of the magnetosphere. The field‐aligned current output from the model is integrated to generate a proxy E index for various energy bands. These E indices track electron energization from 40 KeV to 20 MeV in the radiation belts. The indices are compared to RBSP data and GOES data. Our proxy indices correspond well to the energization data for electron energy bands between 1.8 and 7.7 MeV. Each E index has a unique empirical loss rate term (τL), an empirical time delay term (τD), and a gain value, that are fit to the observations. These empirical parameters were adjusted to examine the delay and charging rates associated with different energy bands. We observed that theτLandτDvalues are clustered for each energy band.τLandτDconsistently increase going from 1.8 to 7.7 MeV in electron energy fluxEeand the dropout interval increases with increasing energy level. The average trend of ΔτD/ΔEewas 4.1 hr/MeV and the average trend of ΔτL/ΔEewas 2.82 hr/MeV. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract The spatial scales of whistler‐mode waves, determined by their generation process, propagation, and damping, are important for assessing the scaling and efficiency of wave‐particle interactions affecting the dynamics of the radiation belts. We use multi‐point wave measurements by two Van Allen Probes in 2013–2019 covering all MLTs atL = 2–6 to investigate the spatial extent of active regions of chorus and hiss waves, their wave amplitude distribution in the source/generation region, and the scales of chorus wave packets, employing a time‐domain correlation technique to the spacecraft approaches closer than 1,000 km, which happened every 70 days in 2012–2018 and every 35 days in 2018–2019. The correlation of chorus wave power dynamics using is found to remain significant up to inter‐spacecraft separations of 400–750 km transverse to the background magnetic field direction, consistent with previous estimates of the chorus wave packet extent. Our results further suggest that the chorus source region can be slightly asymmetrical, more elongated in either the azimuthal or radial direction, which could also explain the aforementioned two different scales. An analysis of average chorus and hiss wave amplitudes at separate locations similarly shows the reveals different radial and azimuthal extents of the corresponding wave active regions, complementing previous results based on THEMIS spacecraft statistics mainly at largerL > 6. Both the chorus source region scale and the chorus active region size appear smaller inside the outer radiation belt (atL < 6) than at higher L‐shells. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract In this study, using Van Allen Probes observations we identify 81 events of electron flux bursts with butterfly pitch angle distributions for tens of keV electrons with close correlations with chorus wave bursts in the Earth's magnetosphere. We use the high‐rate electron flux data from Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer available during 2013–2019 and the simultaneous whistler‐mode wave measurements from Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science to identify the correlated events. The events are categorized into 67 upper‐band chorus (0.5–0.8fce) dominated events and 14 other events where lower‐band chorus (0.05–0.5fce) has modest or strong amplitudes (fcerepresents electron cyclotron frequency). Each electron flux burst correlated with chorus has a short timescale of ∼1 min or less, suggesting potential nonlinear effects. The statistical distribution of selected electron burst events tends to occur in the post‐midnight sector atL > 5 under disturbed geomagnetic conditions, and is associated with chorus waves with relatively strong magnetic wave amplitude and small wave normal angle. The frequency dependence of the electron flux peaks agrees with the cyclotron resonant condition, indicating the effects of chorus‐induced electron acceleration. Our study provides new insights into understanding the rapid nonlinear interactions between chorus and energetic electrons. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract The present study addresses two basic questions related to banded chorus waves in the Earth’s magnetosphere: 1) are chorus spectral gaps formed near the equatorial source region or during propagation away from the equator? and 2) why are chorus spectral gaps usually located below 0.5fce(fce: electron gyro‐frequency)? By analyzing Van Allen Probes data, we demonstrate that chorus spectral gaps are observed in the source region where chorus waves propagate both in the parallel and anti‐parallel directions to the magnetic field. Chorus spectral gaps below 0.5fceare associated with electron parallel acceleration at energies above the equatorial Landau resonant energies. We explain that initially generated chorus waves quickly isotropize the electron distribution through Landau resonant acceleration, and the isotropization occurs for higher energies at higher latitudes. The isotropized population, after returning to the magnetic equator, leads to a chorus gap typically below 0.5fceby suppressing wave excitation. 
    more » « less