Evidence for acceleration of outer zone electrons to relativistic energies by whistler mode chorus

Meredith, N.P.; Horne, R.B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0412-6407; Summers, D.; Thorne, R.M.; Iles, R.H.A.; Heynderickx, D.; Anderson, R.R.. 2002 Evidence for acceleration of outer zone electrons to relativistic energies by whistler mode chorus. Annales Geophysicae, 20 (7). 967-979.

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Abstract/Summary

We use plasma wave and electron data from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) to investigate the viability of a local stochastic electron acceleration mechanism to relativistic energies driven by gyroresonant interactions with whistler mode chorus. In particular, we examine the temporal evolution of the spectral response of the electrons and the waves during the 9 October 1990 geomagnetic storm. The observed hardening of the electron energy spectra over about 3 days in the recovery phase is coincident with prolonged substorm activity, as monitored by the A(E) index and enhanced levels of whistler mode chorus waves. The observed spectral hardening is observed to take place over a range of energies appropriate to the resonant energies associated with Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonance, as supported by the construction of realistic resonance curves and resonant diffusion surfaces. Furthermore, we show that the observed spectral hardening is not consistent with energy-independent radial diffusion models. These results provide strong circumstantial evidence for a local stochastic acceleration mechanism, involving the energisation of a seed population of electrons with energies of the order of a few hundred keV to relativistic energies, driven by wave-particle interactions involving whistler mode chorus. The results suggest that this mechanism contributes to the reformation of the relativistic outer zone population during geomagnetic storms, and is most effective when the recovery phase is characterised by prolonged substorm activity. An additional significant result of this paper is that we demonstrate that the lower energy part of the storm-time electron distribution is in steady-state balance, in accordance with the Kennel and Petschek (1966) theory of limited stably-trapped particle fluxes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Magnetic Reconnection, Substorms and their Consequences
ISSN:	09927689
NORA Subject Terms:	Meteorology and Climatology Physics Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	11 Aug 2010 09:12 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/10170

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Magnetic Reconnection, Substorms and their Consequences

ISSN:

09927689

NORA Subject Terms:

Meteorology and Climatology
Physics
Atmospheric Sciences

Date made live:

11 Aug 2010 09:12 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/10170