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Large Amplitude Whistler Waves and Electron Acceleration in the Earth's Radiation Belts: A Review of STEREO and Wind ObservationsOne of the critical problems for understanding the dynamics of Earth's radiation belts is determining the physical processes that energize and scatter relativistic electrons. We review measurements from the Wind/Waves and STEREO S/Waves waveform capture instruments of large amplitude whistler-mode waves. These observations have provided strong evidence that large amplitude (100s mV/m) whistler-mode waves are common during magnetically active periods. The large amplitude whistlers have characteristics that are different from typical chorus. They are usually nondispersive and obliquely propagating, with a large longitudinal electric field and significant parallel electric field. We will also review comparisons of STEREO and Wind wave observations with SAMPEX observations of electron microbursts. Simulations show that the waves can result in energization by many MeV and/or scattering by large angles during a single wave packet encounter due to coherent, nonlinear processes including trapping. The experimental observations combined with simulations suggest that quasilinear theoretical models of electron energization and scattering via small-amplitude waves, with timescales of hours to days, may be inadequate for understanding radiation belt dynamics.
Document ID
20120016644
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Cattell, Cynthia
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Breneman, A.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Goetz, K.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Kellogg, P.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Kersten, K.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Wygant, J.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Wilson, L. B., III
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Looper, Mark D.
(Aerospace Corp. El Segundo, CA, United States)
Blake, J. Bernard
(Aerospace Corp. El Segundo, CA, United States)
Roth, I.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 2012
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.7466.2012
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX07AU72H
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX07AF23G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX07AI05G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX08AT81G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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