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Abstract Energetic (≳50 keV) electron precipitation from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere during substorms can be important for magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. Using conjugate observations between the THEMIS, ELFIN, and DMSP spacecraft during a substorm, we have analyzed the energetic electron precipitation, the magnetospheric injection, and the associated plasma waves to examine the role of waves in pitch‐angle scattering plasma sheet electrons into the loss cone. During the substorm expansion phase, ELFIN‐A observed 50–300 keV electron precipitation from the plasma sheet that was likely driven by wave‐particle interactions. The identification of the low‐altitude extent of the plasma sheet from ELFIN is aided by DMSP global auroral images. Combining quasi‐linear theory, numerical test particle simulations, and equatorial THEMIS measurements of particles and fields, we have evaluated the relative importance of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and whistler‐mode waves in driving the observed precipitation. We find that the KAW‐driven bounce‐averaged pitch‐angle diffusion coefficientsnear the edge of the loss cone are ∼10−6–10−5s−1for these energetic electrons. Thedue to parallel whistler‐mode waves, observed at THEMIS ∼10‐min after the ELFIN observations, are ∼10−8–10−6s−1. Thus, at least in this case, the observed KAWs dominate over the observed whistler‐mode waves in the scattering and precipitation of energetic plasma sheet electrons during the substorm injection.
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Typical Characteristics of Whistler Mode Waves Categorized by Their Spectral Properties Using Van Allen Probes Observations
Abstract Properties of banded, no‐gap, lower band only, and upper band only whistler mode waves (0.1–0.8fce) outside the plasmasphere are investigated using Van Allen Probes data. Our analysis shows that no‐gap whistler waves have higher occurrence rate at morning side and dayside, while banded and lower band only waves have higher occurrence rate between midnight and dawn. We also find that the occurrence rate of no‐gap whistler waves peaks at magnetic latitude |MLAT|∼8–10°, while banded waves have higher occurrence rate near the equator for°. The wave normal angle distributions of these four groups of waves are similar to previous results. The distinct local time and latitudinal distribution of no‐gap and banded whistler mode waves is critical to further understand the formation mechanism of the power minimum at half electron gyrofrequency.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1847818
- PAR ID:
- 10458742
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume:
- 46
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0094-8276
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 3607-3614
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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