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Abstract We evaluate the diffusive and nonlinear scattering of ring current protons by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere using test particle simulations. EMIC waves are commonly observed inside and outside the plasmasphere with wave amplitudes ranging from 100 pT to several nT. Field‐aligned EMIC waves can scatter 1 keV–1 MeV protons counter‐streaming with respect to the waves through first order cyclotron resonance. Through the analyses of the proton equatorial pitch angle variations along the field line, our simulations reveal the typical interaction features including quasilinear diffusion for small wave amplitudes, phase trapping and bunching at intermediate and large pitch angles, anomalous phase trapping and positive phase bunching at small pitch angles, and non‐resonant scattering at pitch angles and energies outside the resonance regime. Using different wave amplitudes from 100 pT to 5 nT, we compared the modeling results of proton equatorial pitch angle variations between quasilinear and test particle simulations, and between diffusive scattering and advective effects. For monochromatic He‐band EMIC waves atL = 5, the interaction between protons and EMIC waves with amplitudes below 500 pT could be described as a diffusive process and quantified by quasilinear theory; nonlinear interactions and advection effects become important for wave amplitudes larger than 1 nT. The interactions between EMIC waves and ring current protons are analogous to the interactions between whistler‐mode chorus waves and radiation belt electrons described in previous studies, despite the quantitative differences in the wave amplitude threshold of quasilinear diffusion applicability.
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On the Energy Coupling From Magnetosonic Waves to High‐Frequency Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: Statistical Analysis
Abstract In the inner magnetosphere, fast magnetosonic waves (MS waves) are known to resonantly interact with ring current protons, causing these protons to gain energy preferentially in the direction perpendicular to the background magnetic field. An anisotropic distribution of enhanced ring current protons is a necessary condition to excite electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves which are known to facilitate a rapid depletion of ultra‐relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt. So, when a simultaneous observation of high‐frequency EMIC (HFEMIC) waves, anisotropic low‐energy protons, and MS waves was first reported, a chain of energy flow from MS waves to HFEMIC waves through proton heating was naturally proposed. In this study, we carry out a statistical analysis using Van Allen Probes data to provide deeper insights into this energy pathway. Our results show that the occurrence of HFEMIC waves exhibits good correlation with the enhanced flux and anisotropy of low‐energy protons, but the correlation between the low‐energy protons and the concurrent MS waves is rather poor. The latter result is given support by quasilinear diffusion analysis, indicating negligible momentum diffusion rates at sub‐keV energies, unless MS wave frequency gets very close to the proton cyclotron frequency (which constitutes only a small number of the cases). The fact that the first chain of the coupling is statistically inconclusive calls for an alternative explanation for the major source of the low‐energy anisotropic proton population in the inner magnetosphere.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2225445
- PAR ID:
- 10483849
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 129
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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