Storm-Time Evolution of Energetic Electron Pitch Angle Distributions by Wave-Particle Interaction

The quasi-pure pitch-angle scattering of energetic electrons driven by field-aligned propagating whistler mode waves during the 9～15 October 1990 magnetic storm at L≈ 3 ～ 4 is studied, and numerical calculations for energetic electrons in gyroresonance with a band of frequency of whistler mode waves distributed over a standard Gaussian spectrum is performed. It is found that the whistler mode waves can efficiently drive energetic electrons from the larger pitchangles into the loss cone, and lead to a flat-top distribution during the main phase of geomagnetic storms. This result perhaps presents a feasible interpretation for observation of time evolution of the quasi-isotropic pitch-angle distribution by Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite （CRRES） spacecraft at L ≈ 3 ～ 4.

Test particle simulations of resonant interactions between energetic electrons and discrete, multi-frequency artificial whistler waves in the plasmasphere

Modulated high frequency （HF） heating of the ionosphere provides a feasible means of artificially generating ex- tremely low frequency （ELF）/very low frequency （VLF） whistler waves, which can leak into the inner magnetosphere and contribute to resonant interactions with high energy electrons. Combining the ray tracing method and test particle simulations, we evaluate the effects of energetic electron resonant scattering driven by the discrete, multi-frequency arti- ficially generated ELF/VLF waves. The simulation results indicate a stochastic behavior of electrons and a linear profile of pitch angle and kinetic energy variations averaged over all test electrons. These features are similar to those associated with single-frequency waves. The computed local diffusion coefficients show that, although the momentum diffusion of relativistic electrons due to artificial ELF/VLF whistlers with a nominal amplitude of ~ 1 pT is minor, the pitch angle scattering can be notably efficient at low pitch angles near the loss cone, which supports the feasibility of artificial triggering of multi-frequency ELF/VLF whistler waves for the removal of high energy electrons from the magnetosphere. We also investigate the dependences of diffusion coefficients on the frequency interval （△f） of the discrete, multi-frequency waves. We find that there is a threshold value of Af for which the net diffusion coefficient of multi-frequency whistlers is inversely proportional to △f （proportional to the frequency components Nw） when △f is below the threshold value but it remains unchanged with increasing Af when △f is larger than the threshold value. This is explained as being due to the fact that the resonant scattering effect of broadband waves is the sum of the effects of each frequency in the ＇effective frequency band＇. Our results suggest that the modulation frequency of HF heating of the ionosphere can be appropriately selected with reasonable frequency intervals so that better performance of controlled precipitation of high energy electrons in the plasmasphere by artificial ELF/VLF whistler waves can be achieved.

Conceptual design of the tail research experiment at the Space Plasma Environment Research Facility(SPERF-TREX)

The Space Plasma Environment Research Facility(SPERF)for ground simulation of the space plasma environment is a key component of the Space Environment Simulation Research Infrastructure(SESRI),a major national science and technology infrastructure for fundamental research.It is designed to investigate outstanding issues in the space plasma environment,such as energetic particle acceleration,transport,and interaction with electromagnetic waves,as well as magnetic reconnection processes,in magnetospheric plasmas.The Tail-Research EXperiment(TREX)is part of the SPERF for laboratory studies of space physics relevant to magnetic reconnection,dipolarization and hydromagnetic wave excitation in the magnetotail.SPERFTREX is designed to carry out three types of experiments:the tail plasmoid for magnetic reconnection,dipolarization front formation,and magnetohydrodynamic waves excited by highspeed plasma jets.In this paper,the scientific goals and three scenarios of SPERF-TREX for typical processes in space plasmas are presented,and experimental plans for SPERF-TREX are also reviewed,together with the plasma sources applied to generate the plasma with the desired parameters and various magnetic configurations.

Investigating the occurrence and predictability of pitch angle scattering events at ADITYA-Upgrade tokamak with the electron cyclotron emission radiometer

This paper describes the experimental analysis and preliminary investigation of the predictability of pitch angle scattering(PAS) events through the electron cyclotron emission(ECE)radiometer signals at the ADITYA-Upgrade(ADITYA-U) tokamak. For low-density discharges at ADITYA-U, a sudden abnormal rise is observed in the ECE signature while other plasma parameters are unchanged. Investigations are done to understand this abrupt rise that is expected to occur due to PAS. The rise time is as fast as 100 μs with a single step and/or multiple step rise in ECE radiometer measurements. This event is known to limit the on-axis energy of runaway electrons. Being a repetitive event, the conditions of its repetitive occurrence can be investigated, thereby exploring the possibility of it being triggered and surveyed as an alternate runaway electron mitigation plan. Functional parameterization of such events with other discharge parameters is obtained and the possibility to trigger these events is discussed.PREDICT code is used to investigate the possible interpretations for the PAS occurrence through modeling and supporting the ECE observations. The trigger values so obtained experimentally are set as input criteria for PAS occurrence. Preliminary modeling investigations provide reliable consistency with the findings.

Latest progress on interactions between VLF/ELF waves and energetic electrons in the inner magnetosphere

Interactions between very/extremely low frequency (VLF/ELF) waves and energetic electrons play a fundamental role in dynamics occurring in the inner magnetosphere. Here, we briefly discuss global properties of VLF/ELF waves, along with the variability of the electron radiation belts associated with wave-particle interactions and radial diffusion. We provide cases of electron loss and acceleration as a result of wave-particle interactions primarily due to such waves, and particularly some preliminary results of 3D evolution of phase space density from our currently developing 3D code. We comment on the existing mechanisms responsible for acceleration and loss, and identify several critical issues that need to be addressed. We review latest progress and suggest open questions for future investigation.

On the loss mechanisms of radiation belt electron dropouts during the 12 September 2014 geomagnetic storm

Radiation belt electron dropouts indicate electron flux decay to the background level during geomagnetic storms,which is commonly attributed to the effects of wave-induced pitch angle scattering and magnetopause shadowing.To investigate the loss mechanisms of radiation belt electron dropouts triggered by a solar wind dynamic pressure pulse event on 12 September 2014,we comprehensively analyzed the particle and wave measurements from Van Allen Probes.The dropout event was divided into three periods:before the storm,the initial phase of the storm,and the main phase of the storm.The electron pitch angle distributions(PADs)and electron flux dropouts during the initial and main phases of this storm were investigated,and the evolution of the radial profile of electron phase space density(PSD)and the(μ,K)dependence of electron PSD dropouts(whereμ,K,and L^*are the three adiabatic invariants)were analyzed.The energy-independent decay of electrons at L>4.5 was accompanied by butterfly PADs,suggesting that the magnetopause shadowing process may be the major loss mechanism during the initial phase of the storm at L>4.5.The features of electron dropouts and 90°-peaked PADs were observed only for>1 MeV electrons at L<4,indicating that the wave-induced scattering effect may dominate the electron loss processes at the lower L-shell during the main phase of the storm.Evaluations of the(μ,K)dependence of electron PSD drops and calculations of the minimum electron resonant energies of H+-band electromagnetic ion cyclotron(EMIC)waves support the scenario that the observed PSD drop peaks around L^*=3.9 may be caused mainly by the scattering of EMIC waves,whereas the drop peaks around L^*=4.6 may result from a combination of EMIC wave scattering and outward radial diffusion.

Dynamics of the inner electron radiation belt:A review

The Van Allen radiation belts are an extraordinary science discovery in the Earth magnetosphere and consist of two electron belts.The inner Van Allen belt contains electrons of 10s to 100s keV;the outer belt consists mainly of 0.1-10 MeV electrons.Their dynamics have been analyzed for decades.The newly-launched Van Allen Probes provide unprecedented opportunities to investigate the inner belt more thoroughly.Data from this advanced mission have allowed scientists to demonstrate that the inner belt was formed not only through inward transport of outer belt electrons but Cosmic Ray Albedo Neutron Decay(CRAND)has also played an important role.In addition,the inner belt electrons show energy-dependent variations and present“zebra stripe”structures in the energy spectrum.At the same time,scientists have further confirmed that the electrons in the inner radiation belt get lost through coulomb collision and wave-particle interaction.Despite these advances,important questions remain unanswered and require further investigation.The launch of Macao Science Satellite-1 mission,with its low inclination angle and low altitude orbit,will provide advanced radiation belt data for better understanding of the structure and dynamics of the inner electron radiation belt.

Nonlinear simulation of multiple toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes in tokamak plasmas

Nonlinear evolution of multiple toroidal Alfven eigenmodes(TAEs) driven by fast ions is self-consistently investigated by kinetic simulations in toroidal plasmas.To clearly identify the effect of nonlinear coupling on the beam ion loss,simulations over single-n modes are also carried out and compared with those over multiple-n modes,and the wave-particle resonance and particle trajectory of lost ions in phase space are analyzed in detail.It is found that in the multiple-n case,the resonance overlap occurs so that the fast ion loss level is rather higher than the sum loss level that represents the summation of loss over all single-n modes in the single-n case.Moreover,increasing fast ion beta β_h can not only significantly increase the loss level in the multiple-n case but also significantly increase the loss level increment between the single-n and multiple-n cases.For example,the loss level in the multiple-n case for β_h=6.0% can even reach 13% of the beam ions and is 44% higher than the sum loss level calculated from all individual single-n modes in the single-n case.On the other hand,when the closely spaced resonance overlap occurs in the multiple-n case,the release of mode energy is increased so that the widely spaced resonances can also take place.In addition,phase space characterization is obtained in both single-n and multiple-n cases.

Interaction between electromagnetic waves and energetic particles by a realistic density model

Using a realistic density model,we present a first study on the interactions between electromagnetic waves and energetic particles in the inner magnetosphere.Numerical calculations show that as the latitude λ increases,the number density ne increases,and resonant frequency range moves to lower pitch angles.During L-mode/electron and L-mode/proton interactions,the pitch angle diffusion dominates over the momentum diffusion.This indicates that L-mode waves are primarily responsible for pitch angle scattering.For R-mode/electron interaction,the momentum diffusion is found to be comparable to the pitch angle diffusion,implying that R-mode waves can play an important role in both pitch angle scattering and stochastic acceleration of electrons.For R-mode/proton interaction,diffusion coefficients locate primarily below pitch angle 60° and increase as kinetic energy increases,suggesting that R-mode waves have potential for pitch angle scattering of highly energetic (~1 MeV) protons but cannot efficiently accelerate protons.

Interplanetary shock-associated aurora

Interplanetary shocks or solar wind pressure pulses have prompted impacts on Earth's magnetospheric and ionospheric environment, especially in causing dynamic changes to the bright aurora in the polar ionosphere. The auroral phenomenon associated with shock impingements, referred to as shock aurora, exhibits distinct signatures differing from other geophysical features on the dayside polar ionosphere. Shock aurora provides a direct manifestation of the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere interaction. Imagers onboard satellites can obtain the associated large-scale auroral characteristics during shock impingement on the magnetopause. Therefore, auroral data from satellites are very useful for surveying the comprehensive features of shock aurora and their general evolution. Nonetheless, the ground-based high temporal-spatial resolution all-sky imagers installed at scientific stations play an essential role in revealing medium-and small-scale characteristics of shock aurora. Here, we focus on shock aurora imaging signatures measured by imagers onboard satellites and ground-based all-sky imagers.

Evolutions of equatorial ring current ions during a magnetic storm

In this paper, we present evolutions of the phase space density(PSD) spectra of ring current(RC) ions based on observations made by Van Allen Probe B during a geomagnetic storm on 23–24 August 2016. By analyzing PSD spectra ratios from the initial phase to the main phase of the storm, we find that during the main phase, RC ions with low magnetic moment μ values can penetrate deeper into the magnetosphere than can those with high μ values, and that the μ range of PSD enhancement meets the relationship: S(O^+) >S(He^+)>S(H^+). Based on simultaneously observed ULF waves, theoretical calculation suggests that the radial transport of RC ions into the deep inner magnetosphere is caused by drift-bounce resonance interactions, and the efficiency of these resonance interactions satisfies the relationship: η(O^+) > η(He^+) > η(H^+), leading to the differences in μ range of PSD enhancement for different RC ions. In the recovery phase,the observed decay rates for different RC ions meet the relationship: R(O^+) > R(He^+) > R(H^+), in accordance with previous theoretical calculations, i.e., the charge exchange lifetime of O^+ is shorter than those of H^+ and He^+.

Gyroresonance Between Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves and Particles in a Multi-ion Plasma

The gyroresonant interaction between electromagnetic ion cyclotron （EMIC） waves and energetic particles was studied in a multi-ion （H^＋, He^＋, and O^＋） plasma. The minimum resonant energy Emin, resonant wave frequency w, and pitch angle diffusion coefficient Daa were calculated at the center location of the symmetrical ring current： r ≈3.5RE with RE the Earth＇s radius. Emin is found to decrease rapidly from 10 MeV to a few keV with the increase in ca in three bands： H^＋-band, He^＋-band and O^＋-band. Moreover, EMIC waves have substantial potential to scatter energetic （～100 keV） ions （mainly H^＋ and He^＋） into the loss cone and yield precipitation loss, suggesting that wave-particle interactions contribute to ring current decay.

Ring current proton scattering by low-frequency magnetosonic waves

Magnetosonic (MS) waves are believed to have the ability to affect the dynamics of ring current protons both inside and outside the plasmasphere. However, previous studies have focused primarily on the effect of high-frequency MS waves (f > 20 Hz) on ring current protons. In this study, we investigate interactions between ring current protons and low-frequency MS waves (< 20 Hz) inside the plasmasphere. We find that low-frequency MS waves can effectively accelerate < 20 keV ring current protons on time scales from several hours to a day, and their scattering efficiency is comparable to that due to high-frequency MS waves (>20 Hz), from which we infer that omitting the effect of low-frequency MS waves will considerably underestimate proton depletion at middle pitch angles and proton enhancement at large pitch angles. Therefore, ring current proton modeling should take into account the effects of both low- and highfrequency MS waves.

Radiation belt electron scattering by whistler-mode chorus in the Jovian magnetosphere: Importance of ambient and wave parameters

Whistler-mode chorus waves are regarded as an important acceleration mechanism contributing to the formation of relativistic and ultra-relativistic electrons in the Jovian radiation belts. Quantitative determination of the chorus wave driven electron scattering effect in the Jovian magnetosphere requires detailed information of both ambient magnetic field and plasma density and wave spectral property, which however cannot be always readily acquired from observations of existed missions to Jupiter. We therefore perform a comprehensive analysis of the sensitivity of chorus induced electron scattering rates to ambient magnetospheric and wave parameters in the Jovian radiation belts to elaborate to which extent the diffusion coefficients depend on a number of key input parameters. It is found that quasi-linear electron scattering rates by chorus can be strongly affected by the ambient magnetic field intensity, the wave latitudinal coverage, and the peak frequency and bandwidth of the wave spectral distribution in the Jovian magnetosphere, while they only rely slightly on the background plasma density profile and the peak wave normal angle, especially when the wave emissions are confined at lower latitudes. Given the chorus wave amplitude, chorus induced electron scattering rates strongly depend on Jovian L-shell to exhibit a tendency approximately proportional to L_J^3. Our comprehensive analysis explicitly demonstrates the importance of reliable information of both the ambient magnetospheric state and wave distribution property to understanding the dynamic electron evolution in the Jovian radiation belts and therefore has implications for future mission planning to explore the extreme particle radiation environment of Jupiter and its satellites.

Importance of electron distribution profiles to chorus wave driven evolution of Jovian radiation belt electrons

Wave-particle interactions triggered by whistler-mode chorus waves are an important contributor to the Jovian radiation belt electron dynamics. While the sensitivity of chorus-driven electron scattering to the ambient magnetospheric and wave parameters has been investigated, there is rather limited understanding regarding the extent to which the dynamic evolution of Jovian radiation belt electrons, under the impact of chorus wave scattering, depends on the electron distribution profiles. We adopt a group of reasonable initial conditions based upon the available observations and models for quantitative analyses. We find that inclusion of pitch angle variation in initial conditions can result in increased electron losses at lower pitch angles and substantially modify the pitch angle evolution profiles of > ~500 keV electrons, while variations of electron energy spectrum tend to modify the evolution primarily of 1 MeV and 5 MeV electrons. Our results explicitly demonstrate the importance to the radiation belt electron dynamics in the Jovian magnetosphere of the initial shape of the electron phase space density, and indicate the extent to which variations in electron energy spectrum and pitch angle distribution can contribute to the evolution of Jovian radiation belt electrons caused by chorus wave scattering.

Observation of double pseudowaves in an ion-beam-plasma system

Pseudowaves, known as burst-ion signals, which are different from plasma normal modes, exist frequently in ion- wave excitation experiments when launching the waves by applying a pulsed voltage to a negatively biased grid. In previous experiments, only one kind of the pseudowave was observed. In this paper, we report the observation and identification of double pseudowaves in an ion-beam-plasma system. These pseudowaves originate from two ion groups： the burst of the beam ions and the burst of the background ions. It was observed that the burst of the background ions was in the case of high ion beam energy, while the burst of the beam ions was in the case of low ion beam energy. By observing the dependence of the signal velocities on the characteristics of the excitation voltage, these pseudowaves can be identified. It was also observed that the burst ion signal originating from the background ions can interact with slow beam mode and that originating from the beam ions can interact with fast beam mode.

Observation and Modeling of Geostationary Orbit Electron Energization Induced by Enhanced Dayside Whistler-Mode Waves

We provide correlated observations of enhanced dayside whistler-mode waves and energetic electron acceleration collected by the CLUSTER and GOES satellites during the 23～24 September 2001 storm. Energetic （〉0.6 MeV） electron fluxes are found to increase significantly during the recovery phase and the main phase, by a factor of～50 higher than the prestorm level. These high electron fluxes occur when strong dayside whistler-mode waves are present. Two-dimensional （2D） numerical simulations are carried out and the results demonstrate that the dayside whistler-mode wave can contribute to such enhancements in electron flux within 24 h, consistent with the observation.

Study of typical space wave–particle coupling events possibly related with seismic activity

Based on the DEMETER satellite, we found two space wave-particle coupling events during February 2010 that took place in the range of the McIlwain parameter L （1.27-- 1.37）. There are strong spatial and temporal correlation between the particle bursts （PBs） and the electromagnetic disturbances of the coupling events. The two PBs show different energy spectrum characteristics, while the corresponding electromagnetic disturbances concentrated on different frequency ranges. In agreement with the prediction of the theory of wave-particle interaction, we conclude that the two wave-particle inter- actions can be probably explained as follows： one is electron-dominant precipitation with energy of 0.09 MeV,-~0.2 MeV induced by a VLF electromagnetic wave with the frequencies of 14 kHz,-20 kHz, and another is proton-dominant precip- itation with energies of 0.65 MeV--2.85 MeV induced by a VLF electromagnetic wave with the frequency of ≤ 100 Hz. For the first time, these particle bursts＇ origins, from electrons or protons detected by the Instrument for the Detection of Particles （IDP） on board, are inferred by theoretical calculation, although the instrument has no ability to identify the particle species.

Effect of Chorus Latitudinal Distribution on Evolution of Outer Radiation Belt Electrons

Primary result on the impact of the latitudinal distribution of whistler-mode chorus upon temporal evolution of the phase space density （PSD） of outer radiation belt energetic electrons was presented. We evaluate diffusion rates in pitch angle and momentum due to a band of chorus frequency distributed at a standard Gaussian spectrum, and solve a 2-D bounce-averaged momentum-pitch-angle Fokker-Planck equation at L = 4.5. It is shown that chorus is effective in accelerating electrons and can increase PSD for energy of ～1 MeV by a factor of 10 or more in about one day, which is consistent with observation. Moreover, the latitudinal distribution of chorus has a great impact on the acceleration of electrons. As the latitudinal distribution increases, the efficient acceleration region extends from higher pitch angles to lower pitch angles, and even covers the entire pitch angle region when chorus power reaches the maximum latitude λm = 45°.

Effect of kappa distribution on the damping rate of the obliquely propagating magnetosonic mode

Data from spacecrafts suggest that space plasma has an abundance of suprathermal particles which are controlled by the spectral index κ when modeled on kappa particle velocity distribution. In this paper, considering homogeneous plasma, the effect of integer values of κ on the damping rate of an obliquely propagating magnetosonic（MS） wave is studied. The frequency of the MS wave is assumed to be less than ion cyclotron frequency, i.e.,iw（28）w. Under this assumption, the dispersion relation is investigated both numerically and analytically, and it is found that the real frequency of the wave is not a sensitive function of κ, but the imaginary part of the frequency is. It is also shown that for those values of κ where a large number of resonant particles participate in wave–particle interaction, the wave is heavily damped, as expected. The possible application of the results to the solar wind is discussed.