Relativistic Electron Precipitation Driven by Mesoscale Transients, Inferred From Ground and Multi‐Spacecraft Platforms

Abstract

Precipitation of relativistic electrons into the Earth's atmosphere regulates the outer radiation belt fluxes and contributes to magnetosphere‐atmosphere coupling. One of the main drivers of such precipitation is electron scattering by whistler‐mode waves. Such waves typically originate at the equator, where they can resonate with and scatter sub‐relativistic (tens to a few hundred keV) electrons. However, they can occasionally propagate far away from the equator along field lines, reaching middle latitudes, where they can resonate with and scatter relativistic (>500 keV) electrons. Such a propagation is typical for the dayside, but statistically has not been found on the nightside where the waves are quickly damped along their propagation due to Landau damping. Here we explore two events of relativistic electron precipitation from low‐altitude observations on the nightside. Combining measurements of whistler‐mode waves from ground observatories, relativistic electron precipitation from low‐altitude satellites, total electron content maps from GPS receivers, and magnetic field and electron flux from equatorial satellites, we show wave ducting by plasma density gradients is the possible channel that allows the waves to reach middle latitudes and scatter relativistic electrons. We suggest that both whistler‐mode wave generation and ducting can be driven by equatorial mesoscale (with spatial scales of about one Earth radius) transient structures during nightside injections. We also compare these nightside events with observations of ducted waves and relativistic electron precipitation at the dayside, where wave generation and ducting are driven by ultra‐low‐frequency waves. This study demonstrates the potential importance of mesoscale transients in relativistic electron precipitation, but does not however unequivocally establish that ducted whistler‐mode waves are the primary cause of the observed electron precipitation.

Relativistic Electron Precipitation Events Driven by Solar Wind Impact on the Earth's Magnetosphere

“…Figures 8c and 8d show the resultant pitch-angle diffusion rates at the loss cone and precipitating-to-trapped flux ratios, respectively, as a function of energy and maximum magnetic latitude (for a finite wave power) for these whistler-mode wave settings. Again, simulation results confirm the resonant energy estimates: to scatter relativistic (∼1 MeV) electrons waves should propagate to 30 40°magnetic latitude (see further discussion in Artemyev et al (2024)).…”

On the Factors Controlling the Relationship Between Type of Pulsating Aurora and Energy of Pulsating Auroral Electrons: Simultaneous Observations by Arase Satellite, Ground‐Based All‐Sky Imagers and EISCAT Radar

“…More recent simulation studies demonstrated that ducted waves and resultant propagation to higher MLATs are required to cause sub-relativistic/relativistic electron microbursts (Chen et al, 2022;Miyoshi, Oyama, et al, 2015;Miyoshi et al, 2020). By ground-based measurements of whistler-mode waves and satellite observations of the electron precipitation, Artemyev et al (2024) suggested that relativistic electrons are scattered…”