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Origin of Electron Boomerang Stripes: Localized ULF Wave‐Particle Interactions
Author(s) -
Zhao X. X.,
Hao Y. X.,
Zong Q.G.,
Zhou X.Z.,
Yue Chao,
Chen X. R.,
Liu Y.,
Blake J. B.,
Claudepierre S. G.,
Reeves G. D.
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.1029/2020gl087960
Subject(s) - physics , van allen radiation belt , electron , pitch angle , quasiperiodic function , van allen probes , resonance (particle physics) , particle (ecology) , computational physics , radiation , atomic physics , geophysics , optics , magnetic field , magnetosphere , condensed matter physics , geology , oceanography , quantum mechanics
Ultralow frequency (ULF) wave‐particle interactions play a significant role in the radiation belt dynamic process, during which drift resonance can accelerate and transport energetic electrons in the outer radiation belt. Observations of wave‐electron drift resonance are characterized by quasiperiodic straight or “boomerang‐shaped” stripes in the pitch angle spectrogram. Here we present an ULF wave event on 1 December 2015, during which both kinds stripes were observed by Van Allen Probes A and B, respectively. Using the time‐of‐flight technique based on the pitch angle dependence of electron drift velocities, the “boomerang‐shaped” stripes are inferred to originate from straight stripes at the time and location covered by Probe B. Given that straight stripes were indeed observed by Probe B, our observations strongly support the charged particle interacting with azimuthally localized ULF waves. A new method is provided to identify the location of ULF wave‐particle interaction on the basis of remote observations of electron flux modulations.