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Intense low‐frequency chorus waves observed by Van Allen Probes: Fine structures and potential effect on radiation belt electrons
Author(s) -
Gao Zhonglei,
Su Zhenpeng,
Zhu Hui,
Xiao Fuliang,
Zheng Huinan,
Wang Yuming,
Shen Chao,
Wang Shui
Publication year - 2016
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 - 10.1002/2016gl067687
Subject(s) - chorus , van allen radiation belt , van allen probes , physics , electron , pitch angle , computational physics , momentum (technical analysis) , diffusion , hiss , atomic physics , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , geophysics , plasma , art , literature , finance , economics , thermodynamics
Frequency distribution is a vital factor in determining the contribution of whistler mode chorus to radiation belt electron dynamics. Chorus is usually considered to occur in the frequency range 0.1–0.8 f ce_eq (with the equatorial electron gyrofrequency f ce_eq ). We here report an event of intense low‐frequency chorus with nearly half of wave power distributed below 0.1 f ce_eq observed by Van Allen Probe A on 27 August 2014. This emission propagated quasi‐parallel to the magnetic field and exhibited hiss‐like signatures most of the time. The low‐frequency chorus can produce the rapid loss of low‐energy (∼0.1 MeV) electrons, different from the normal chorus. For high‐energy (≥0.5 MeV) electrons, the low‐frequency chorus can yield comparable momentum diffusion to that of the normal chorus but much stronger (up to 2 orders of magnitude) pitch angle diffusion near the loss cone.