Premium
Electron trapping and charge transport by large amplitude whistlers
Author(s) -
Kellogg P. J.,
Cattell C. A.,
Goetz K.,
Monson S. J.,
Wilson L. B.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010gl044845
Subject(s) - whistler , electron , physics , van allen radiation belt , trapping , computational physics , plasmasphere , amplitude , atomic physics , electromagnetic radiation , geophysics , plasma , magnetosphere , optics , nuclear physics , ecology , biology
Trapping of electrons by magnetospheric whistlers is investigated using data from the Waves experiment on Wind and the S/WAVES experiment on STEREO. Waveforms often show a characteristic distortion which is shown to be due to electrons trapped in the potential of the electrostatic part of oblique whistlers. The density of trapped electrons is significant, comparable to that of the unperturbed whistler. Transport of these trapped electrons to new regions can generate potentials of several kilovolts. Trapping and the associated potentials may play an important role in the acceleration of Earth's radiation belt electrons.