Electron Precipitation Observed by ELFIN Using Proton Precipitation as a Proxy for Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) Waves

0578650 - ÚFA 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Capannolo, L. - Li, W. - Ma, Q. - Qin, M. - Shen, X.-C. - Angelopoulos, V. - Artemyev, A. - Zhang, X.J. - Hanzelka, Miroslav
Electron Precipitation Observed by ELFIN Using Proton Precipitation as a Proxy for Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) Waves.
Geophysical Research Letters. Roč. 50, č. 21 (2023), č. článku e2023GL103519. ISSN 0094-8276. E-ISSN 1944-8007
Institutional support: RVO:68378289
Keywords : EMIC waves * electron precipitation * elfin * pitch-angle distribution * radiation belts * wave-particle interactions
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 5.2, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL103519

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves can drive radiation belt depletion and Low-Earth Orbit satellites can detect the resulting electron and proton precipitation. The ELFIN (Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN) CubeSats provide an excellent opportunity to study the properties of EMIC-driven electron precipitation with much higher energy and pitch-angle resolution than previously allowed. We collect EMIC-driven electron precipitation events from ELFIN observations and use POES (Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites) to search for 10s-100s keV proton precipitation nearby as a proxy of EMIC wave activity. Electron precipitation mainly occurs on localized radial scales (similar to 0.3 L), over 15-24 MLT and 5-8 L shells, stronger at similar to MeV energies and weaker down to similar to 100-200 keV. Additionally, the observed loss cone pitch-angle distribution agrees with quasilinear predictions at greater than or similar to 250 keV (more filled loss cone with increasing energy), while additional mechanisms are needed to explain the observed low-energy precipitation.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0347580