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Energy Range of Electron Rolling Pin Distribution Behind Dipolarization Front
Author(s) -
Zhao M. J.,
Fu H. S.,
Liu C. M.,
Chen Z. Z.,
Xu Y.,
Giles B. L.,
Burch J. L.
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1029/2019gl082100
Subject(s) - range (aeronautics) , electron , physics , distribution (mathematics) , phase (matter) , spacecraft , computational physics , energy (signal processing) , atomic physics , nuclear physics , materials science , astronomy , mathematical analysis , mathematics , quantum mechanics , composite material
The electron rolling pin distribution, showing electron pitch angles primarily at 0°, 90°, and 180°, has recently been observed behind dipolarization fronts (DFs) and explained using an analytical model. However, the energy range of such distribution has been unknown so far, owing to the low‐resolution data in previous spacecraft missions. Here using the high‐resolution measurements of Magnetospheric Multiscale, we reveal the energy range of electron rolling pin distribution behind DFs for the first time. We find that such distribution appears only above 1.7 keV, falling well into the suprathermal energy range. Below 1.7 keV, electrons exhibit a Maxwell distribution, while above 1.7 keV, they exhibit a power law distribution. In addition, such distribution appears primarily in the growing phase of the flow and disappears quickly in the decaying phase. During the formation of the rolling pin distribution, electrons are gyrotropic. These findings have greatly improved our knowledge of electron dynamics around DFs.