Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts

Abstract The properties of traveling kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and their role in energizing electrons in the inner magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm are examined using measurements from the Van Allen Probes and Gyrofluid‐Kinetic Electron (GKE) model simulations. Traveling KAWs occur in the...

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Main Authors: A. J. Hull, P. A. Damiano, C. C. Chaston, J. R. Johnson, G. D. Reeves
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099318
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author A. J. Hull
P. A. Damiano
C. C. Chaston
J. R. Johnson
G. D. Reeves
author_facet A. J. Hull
P. A. Damiano
C. C. Chaston
J. R. Johnson
G. D. Reeves
author_sort A. J. Hull
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The properties of traveling kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and their role in energizing electrons in the inner magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm are examined using measurements from the Van Allen Probes and Gyrofluid‐Kinetic Electron (GKE) model simulations. Traveling KAWs occur in the vicinity of energetic plasma injection fronts in association with magnetic field dipolarizations. The KAWs coincide with energized field‐aligned electrons at energies ≲1 keV. By using observational constraints and incorporating hot and cold electron populations, the GKE simulations are able to reproduce the observed energized electron distribution signatures. The modeling results demonstrate the crucial importance of cold electrons for best observational agreement. The results show that the electron response to KAWs can be substantially different for opposing current regions and are a sensitive function of the cold electron relative density.
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publishDate 2022-08-01
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-72c91c907b3c45058fc659a219143bc92025-08-20T03:10:20ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072022-08-014915n/an/a10.1029/2022GL099318Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection FrontsA. J. Hull0P. A. Damiano1C. C. Chaston2J. R. Johnson3G. D. Reeves4Space Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley CA USAGeophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley CA USADepartment of Engineering Andrews University Berrien Springs MI USALos Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM USAAbstract The properties of traveling kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and their role in energizing electrons in the inner magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm are examined using measurements from the Van Allen Probes and Gyrofluid‐Kinetic Electron (GKE) model simulations. Traveling KAWs occur in the vicinity of energetic plasma injection fronts in association with magnetic field dipolarizations. The KAWs coincide with energized field‐aligned electrons at energies ≲1 keV. By using observational constraints and incorporating hot and cold electron populations, the GKE simulations are able to reproduce the observed energized electron distribution signatures. The modeling results demonstrate the crucial importance of cold electrons for best observational agreement. The results show that the electron response to KAWs can be substantially different for opposing current regions and are a sensitive function of the cold electron relative density.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099318dispersive Alfven wavesfield aligned electronsinner magnetospherekinetic Alfvén wavesgeomagnetic stormssubstorms
spellingShingle A. J. Hull
P. A. Damiano
C. C. Chaston
J. R. Johnson
G. D. Reeves
Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
Geophysical Research Letters
dispersive Alfven waves
field aligned electrons
inner magnetosphere
kinetic Alfvén waves
geomagnetic storms
substorms
title Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
title_full Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
title_fullStr Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
title_full_unstemmed Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
title_short Electron Energization Signatures in Traveling Kinetic Alfvén Waves at Storm Time Injection Fronts
title_sort electron energization signatures in traveling kinetic alfven waves at storm time injection fronts
topic dispersive Alfven waves
field aligned electrons
inner magnetosphere
kinetic Alfvén waves
geomagnetic storms
substorms
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099318
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