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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.
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Determination of Outer Radiation Belt MeV Electron Energization Rates and Delayed Response Times to Solar Wind Driving During Geomagnetic Storms
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.
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- PAR ID:
- 10526638
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 129
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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