Zhengyang Zou

Resonant scattering of outer zone relativistic electrons by multiband EMIC waves and resultant electron loss time scales

To improve our understanding of the role of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in radiation belt electron dynamics, we perform a comprehensive analysis of EMIC wave-induced resonant scattering of outer zone relativistic (>0.5 MeV) electrons and resultant electron loss time scales with respect to EMIC wave band, L shell, and wave normal angle model. The results demonstrate that while H+-band EMIC waves dominate the scattering losses of ~1–4 MeV outer zone relativistic electrons, it is He+-band and O+-band waves that prevail over the pitch angle diffusion of ultrarelativistic electrons at higher energies. Given the wave amplitude, EMIC waves at higher L shells tend to resonantly interact with a larger population of outer zone relativistic electrons and drive their pitch angle scattering more efficiently. Obliquity of EMIC waves can reduce the efficiency of wave-induced relativistic electron pitch angle scattering. Compared to the frequently adopted parallel or quasi-parallel model, use of the latitudinally varying wave normal angle model produces the largest decrease in H+-band EMIC wave scattering rates at pitch angles  ~5 MeV. At a representative nominal amplitude of 1 nT, EMIC wave scattering produces the equilibrium state (i.e., the lowest normal mode under which electrons at the same energy but different pitch angles decay exponentially on the same time scale) of outer belt relativistic electrons within several to tens of minutes and the following exponential decay extending to higher pitch angles on time scales from <1 min to ~1 h. The electron loss cone can be either empty as a result of the weak diffusion or heavily/fully filled due to approaching the strong diffusion limit, while the trapped electron population at high pitch angles close to 90° remains intact because of no resonant scattering. In this manner, EMIC wave scattering has the potential to deepen the anisotropic distribution of outer zone relativistic electrons by reshaping their pitch angle profiles to “top-hat.” Overall, H+-band and He+-band EMIC waves are most efficient in producing the pitch angle scattering loss of relativistic electrons at ~1–2 MeV. In contrast, the presence of O+-band EMIC waves, while at a smaller occurrence rate, can dominate the scattering loss of 5–10 MeV electrons in the entire region of the outer zone, which should be considered in future modeling of the outer zone relativistic electron dynamics.

Variability of the pitch angle distribution of radiation belt ultrarelativistic electrons during and following intense geomagnetic storms: Van Allen Probes observations

Fifteen months of pitch angle resolved Van Allen Probes Relativistic Electron-Proton Telescope (REPT) measurements of differential electron flux are analyzed to investigate the characteristic variability of the pitch angle distribution of radiation belt ultrarelativistic (>2MeV) electrons during storm conditions and during the long-term poststorm decay. By modeling the ultrarelativistic electron pitch angle distribution as sin(n)alpha, where alpha is the equatorial pitch angle, we examine the spatiotemporal variations of the n value. The results show that, in general, n values increase with the level of geomagnetic activity. In principle, ultrarelativistic electrons respond to geomagnetic storms by becoming more peaked at 90 degrees pitch angle with n values of 2-3 as a supportive signature of chorus acceleration outside the plasmasphere. High n values also exist inside the plasmasphere, being localized adjacent to the plasmapause and exhibiting energy dependence, which suggests a significant contribution from electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave scattering. During quiet periods, n values generally evolve to become small, i.e., 0-1. The slow and long-term decays of the ultrarelativistic electrons after geomagnetic storms, while prominent, produce energy and L-shell-dependent decay time scales in association with the solar and geomagnetic activity and wave-particle interaction processes. At lower L shells inside the plasmasphere, the decay time scales tau(d) for electrons at REPT energies are generally larger, varying from tens of days to hundreds of days, which can be mainly attributed to the combined effect of hiss-induced pitch angle scattering and inward radial diffusion. As L shell increases to L similar to 3.5, a narrow region exists (with a width of similar to 0.5L), where the observed ultrarelativistic electrons decay fastest, possibly resulting from efficient EMIC wave scattering. As L shell continues to increase, tau(d) generally becomes larger again, indicating an overall slower loss process by waves at high L shells. Our investigation based upon the sin(n)alpha function fitting and the estimate of decay time scale offers a convenient and useful means to evaluate the underlying physical processes that play a role in driving the acceleration and loss of ultrarelativistic electrons and to assess their relative contributions.

Occurrence characteristics of outer zone relativistic electron butterfly distribution: A survey of Van Allen Probes REPT measurements

Using Van Allen Probes Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) pitch angle resolved electron flux data from September 2012 to March 2015, we investigate in detail the global occurrence pattern of equatorial (|λ| ≤ 3°) butterfly distribution of outer zone relativistic electrons and its potential correlation with the solar wind dynamic pressure. The statistical results demonstrate that these butterfly distributions occur with the highest occurrence rate ~ 80% at ~ 20–04 magnetic local time (MLT) and L > ~ 5.5 and with the second peak (> ~ 50%) at ~ 11–15 MLT of lower L shells ~ 4.0. They can also extend to L = 3.5 and to other MLT intervals but with the occurrence rates predominantly < ~25%. It is further shown that outer zone relativistic electron butterfly distributions are likely to peak between 58° and 79° for L = 4.0 and 5.0 and between 37° and 58° for L = 6.0, regardless of the level of solar wind dynamic pressure. Relativistic electron butterfly distributions at L = 4.0 also exhibit a pronounced day-night asymmetry in response to the Pdyn variations. Compared to the significant L shell and MLT dependence of the global occurrence pattern, outer zone relativistic electron butterfly distributions show much less but still discernable sensitivity to Pdyn, geomagnetic activity level, and electron energy, the full understanding of which requires future attempts of detailed simulations that combine and differentiate underlying physical mechanisms of the geomagnetic field asymmetry and scattering by various magnetospheric waves.

Bounce resonance scattering of radiation belt electrons by low-frequency hiss: Comparison with cyclotron and Landau resonances

Bounce-resonant interactions with magnetospheric waves have been proposed as important contributing mechanisms for scattering near-equatorially mirroring electrons by violating the second adiabatic invariant associated with the electron bounce motion along a geomagnetic field line. This study demonstrates that low-frequency plasmaspheric hiss with significant wave power below 100 Hz can bounce-resonate efficiently with radiation belt electrons. By performing quantitative calculations of pitch-angle scattering rates, we show that low-frequency hiss induced bounce-resonant scattering of electrons has a strong dependence on equatorial pitch-angle αeq. For electrons with αeq close to 90°, the timescale associated with bounce resonance scattering can be comparable to or even less than 1 hour. Cyclotron- and Landau-resonant interactions between low-frequency hiss and electrons are also investigated for comparisons. It is found that while the bounce and Landau resonances are responsible for the diffusive transport of near-equatorially mirroring electrons to lower αeq, pitch-angle scattering by cyclotron resonance could take over to further diffuse electrons into the atmosphere. Bounce resonance provides a more efficient pitch-angle scattering mechanism of relativistic (≥ 1 MeV) electrons than Landau resonance due to the stronger scattering rates and broader resonance coverage of αeq, thereby demonstrating that bounce resonance scattering by low-frequency hiss can contribute importantly to the evolution of the electron pitch-angle distribution and the loss of radiation belt electrons.