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Nonlinear subcyclotron resonance as a formationmechanism for gaps in banded chorus
Author(s) -
Fu Xiangrong,
Guo Zehua,
Dong Chuanfei,
Gary S. Peter
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl064182
Subject(s) - chorus , physics , electron , cyclotron resonance , cyclotron , nonlinear system , magnetosphere , computational physics , test particle , whistler , atomic physics , resonance (particle physics) , electron cyclotron resonance , plasma oscillation , plasma , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , art , literature
An interesting characteristic of magnetospheric chorus is the presence of a frequency gap at ω ≃0.5Ω e , where Ω e is the electron cyclotron angular frequency. Recent chorus observations sometimes show additional gaps near 0.3Ω e and 0.6Ω e . Here we present a novel nonlinear mechanism for the formation of these gaps using Hamiltonian theory and test particle simulations in a homogeneous, magnetized, collisionless plasma. We find that an oblique whistler wave with frequency at a fraction of the electron cyclotron frequency can resonate with electrons, leading to effective energy exchange between the wave and particles.