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Simultaneous observations of precipitating radiation belt electrons and ring current ions associated with the plasmaspheric plume
Author(s) -
Yuan Zhigang,
Li Ming,
Xiong Ying,
Li Haimeng,
Zhou Meng,
Wang Dedong,
Huang Shiyong,
Deng Xiaohua,
Wang Jingfang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/jgra.50432
Subject(s) - van allen radiation belt , electron , physics , proton , ring current , plasmasphere , ion , pitch angle , atomic physics , magnetosphere , ionosphere , hiss , geophysics , plume , van allen probes , nuclear physics , plasma , meteorology , quantum mechanics
The wave‐particle interactions and associated precipitation of energetic ions/electrons play an important role in the coupling between the inner magnetosphere and the ionosphere. In this paper, we present characteristics of precipitating ring current (RC) ions/electrons and precipitating radiation belt electrons associated with wave‐particle interactions in the plasmaspheric plume in the main phase of a geomagnetic storm during 8–9 May 2001. With observations of the NOAA 16 satellite, within the anisotropic zone, the peak of precipitating RC electron flux was equatorward to that of precipitating RC proton flux in a plasmaspheric plume recognized by the IMAGE and LANL‐91/94 satellites. An enhancement of precipitating flux for >3 MeV electrons was simultaneously observed by NOAA 16 with the increase of precipitating RC proton flux within the anisotropic zone. Theoretical calculations of pitch angle diffusion coefficients for RC protons and for radiation belt electrons caused by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves demonstrated that precipitating flux enhancements of RC protons and >3 MeV radiation belt electrons are a result of EMIC wave‐particle interactions in the plasmaspheric plume. Our result suggests that EMIC waves in the plasmaspheric plume can scatter not only RC ions but also radiation belt electrons into the loss cone, which cause the loss of the RC ions and radiation belt electrons.