Substorms generally inject tens to hundreds of keV electrons, but intense substorm electric fields have been shown to inject MeV electrons as well. An intriguing question is whether such MeVelectron injections can populate the outer radiation belt. Here we present observations of a substorm injection of MeV electrons into the inner magnetosphere. In the premidnight sector at L ∼ 5.5, Van Allen Probes (Radiation Belt Storm Probes)‐A observed a large dipolarization electric field (50 mV/m) over ∼40 s and a dispersionless injection of electrons up to ∼3 MeV. Pitch angle observations indicated betatron acceleration of MeV electrons at the dipolarization front. Corresponding signals of MeV electron injection were observed at LANL‐GEO, THEMIS‐D, and GOES at geosynchronous altitude. Through a series of dipolarizations, the injections increased the MeV electron phase space density by 1 order of magnitude in less than 3 h in the outer radiation belt ( L > 4.8). Our observations provide evidence that deep injections can supply significant MeV electrons.

Unipolar pulses of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAW) are first observed in the near‐Earth plasma sheet (NEPS) associated with dipolarizations during substorm expansion phases. Two similar events are studied with Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations during substorms on 3 February 2008 and 7 February 2008. The unipolar pulses were located at a trough‐like Alfvén speed profile in the northern plasma sheet at a distance of 10–11 RE from Earth. The dominant wave components consist of a southward δEz toward the neutral plane and a +δBy toward the dusk. The |δEz|/|δBy| ratio was in the range of a few times the local Alfvén speed, a strong indication of KAW nature. The wave Poynting flux was earthward and nearly parallel to the background magnetic field. The pulse was associated with an earthward field‐aligned current carried by electrons. These observational facts strongly indicate a KAW eigenmode that is confined by the plasma sheet but propagates earthward along the field line. The KAW eigenmode was accompanied by short timescale (1 min) dipolarizations likely generated by transient magnetotail reconnection. The observed polarity of the KAW field/current is consistent with that of the Hall field/current in magnetic reconnection, supporting the scenario that the Hall fields/current propagate out from reconnection site as KAW eigenmodes. Aurora images on the footprint of THEMIS spacecraft suggest that KAW eigenmode may power aurora brightening during substorm expansion phase.

Singly charged oxygen ions, O+, energized by kinetic Alfvén wave eigenmode (KAWE) in the plasma sheet boundary layer during dipolarizations of two intense substorms, 10:07 UT on 31 August 2004 and 18:24 UT on 14 September 2004, are investigated by Cluster spacecraft in the magnetotail. It is found that after the beginning of the expansion phase of substorms, O+ ions are clearly energized in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field with energy larger than 1 keV in the near‐Earth plasma sheet during magnetic dipolarizations. The pitch angle distribution of these energetic O+ ions is significantly different from that of O+ ions with energy less than 1 keV before substorm onset that is in the quasi‐parallel direction along the magnetic field. The KAWE with the large perpendicular unipolar electric field, Ez ~ −20 mV/m, significantly accelerates O+ ions in the direction perpendicular to the background magnetic field. We present good evidences that O+ ion origin from the ionosphere along the magnetic field line in the northward lobe can be accelerated in the perpendicular direction during substorm dipolarizations. The change of the move direction of O+ ions is useful for O+ transferring from the lobe into the central plasma sheet in the magnetotail. Thus, KAWE can play an important role in O+ ion transfer process from the lobe into the plasma sheet during intense substorms.