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Effects of Polarization Reversal on the Pitch Angle Scattering of Radiation Belt Electrons and Ring Current Protons by EMIC Waves

Cao X., B. Ni, D. Summers, Y. Y. Shprits, Y. Lou, (2020), Effects of Polarization Reversal on the Pitch Angle Scattering of Radiation Belt Electrons and Ring Current Protons by EMIC Waves, Geophysical Research Letters, 47, e2020GL089718, doi:10.1029/2020GL089718, e2020GL089718 2020GL089718

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we investigate the effects of polarization reversal of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves at the crossover frequencies on computations of bounce-averaged pitch angle diffusion coefficients of radiation belt electrons and ring current protons. We find that inclusion of polarization reversal can cause significant changes of H+ band-induced particle diffusion coefficients, while scattering by the He+ band is almost unaffected. Our results show that the pure L-mode approach, which has been widely implemented in previous studies, tends to underestimate the diffusion coefficients of ultrarelativistic (>4 MeV) electrons and overestimate those of 10–50 and >100 keV protons caused by H+ band EMIC waves. Especially for >100 keV protons, the differences in diffusion coefficients can be larger by an order of magnitude. We confirm that the polarization reversal can contribute importantly to the scattering loss of radiation belt electrons and ring current protons by H+ band EMIC waves.

Authors (sorted by name)

Cao Lou Ni Shprits Summers

Journal / Conference

Geophysical Research Letters

Bibtex

@article{https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089718,
author = {Cao, Xing and Ni, Binbin and Summers, Danny and Shprits, Yuri Y. and Lou, Yuequn},
title = {Effects of Polarization Reversal on the Pitch Angle Scattering of Radiation Belt Electrons and Ring Current Protons by EMIC Waves},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
volume = {47},
number = {17},
pages = {e2020GL089718},
keywords = {wave-particle interactions, EMIC waves, polarization reversal, radiation belt electrons, ring current protons},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089718},
url = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020GL089718},
eprint = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2020GL089718},
note = {e2020GL089718 2020GL089718},
abstract = {Abstract In this study, we investigate the effects of polarization reversal of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves at the crossover frequencies on computations of bounce-averaged pitch angle diffusion coefficients of radiation belt electrons and ring current protons. We find that inclusion of polarization reversal can cause significant changes of H+ band-induced particle diffusion coefficients, while scattering by the He+ band is almost unaffected. Our results show that the pure L-mode approach, which has been widely implemented in previous studies, tends to underestimate the diffusion coefficients of ultrarelativistic (>4 MeV) electrons and overestimate those of 10–50 and >100 keV protons caused by H+ band EMIC waves. Especially for >100 keV protons, the differences in diffusion coefficients can be larger by an order of magnitude. We confirm that the polarization reversal can contribute importantly to the scattering loss of radiation belt electrons and ring current protons by H+ band EMIC waves.},
year = {2020}
}