Inferential Evidence for Surprathermal Electron Burst Intensification Due To Inverted-V Precipitation via Inertial Alfvén Waves

C. Feltman; G. G. Howes; S. R. Bounds; D. M. Miles; C. A. Kletzing; K. Greene; R. Broadfoot; J. Bonnell; R. Roglans

doi:10.1029/2025JA033869

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Inferential Evidence for Surprathermal Electron Burst Intensification Due To Inverted-V Precipitation via Inertial Alfvén Waves

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Inferential Evidence for Surprathermal Electron Burst Intensification Due To Inverted-V Precipitation via Inertial Alfvén Waves

C. Feltman, G. G. Howes, S. R. Bounds, D. M. Miles, C. A. Kletzing, K. Greene, R. Broadfoot, J. Bonnell and R. Roglans

Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.130(6), e2025JA033869

06/01/2025

DOI: 10.1029/2025JA033869

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Abstract

The auroral current and electrodynamic structures II sounding rocket mission launched two payloads from Andøya Rocket Range into a post-dusk discrete auroral arc and observed field-aligned electron dispersions near inverted-V precipitation. Five repetitive suprathermal electron bursts (STEBs) associated with low frequency (8 Hz) magnetic perturbations are observed on the High Flyer at 400 km altitude. Similar fluctuations on the nearby Low Flyer at 180 km are shown to be Earth-ward traveling Alfvén waves, suggesting the High Flyer also observed Alfvénic activity. The electron bursts occur both coincident and outside inverted-V electrons, with those coincident displaying the highest peak energy and average differential flux values. We interpret the events as wave-particle acceleration via inertial Alfvén waves along near-Earth field lines and employ time-of-flight methods to gauge source altitudes. A Levenberg–Marquardt fitting routine is applied to inverted-V structures near the dispersions to characterize the expected STEB source distributions. We show the differences in STEB behavior are better explained by changes in the resonant source population and not from significant variation in Alfvén wave parameters.

inertial Alfvén waves

resonant source population

suprathermal electron bursts

wave-particle acceleration

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Inferential Evidence for Surprathermal Electron Burst Intensification Due To Inverted-V Precipitation via Inertial Alfvén Waves
Creators: C. Feltman - Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
G. G. Howes - Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
S. R. Bounds - University of Iowa
D. M. Miles - University of Iowa
C. A. Kletzing - University of Iowa
K. Greene - Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
R. Broadfoot - University of Iowa
J. Bonnell - University of California, Berkeley
R. Roglans - University of California, Berkeley
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.130(6), e2025JA033869
DOI: 10.1029/2025JA033869
ISSN: 2169-9380
eISSN: 2169-9402
Publisher: Wiley
Grant note: 80NSSC19K0740 / Goddard Space Flight Center (100006198) University of New Hampshire (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100008284) 80NSSC19K0491 / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (100000104) Applied Physics Laboratory University of Iowa (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100008893) 80GSFC18C0008 / Science Mission Directorate (100016465) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000104) 80NSSC19K0491; 80GSFC18C0008; 80NSSC19K0740 / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000104)
Language: English
Date published: 06/01/2025
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984829884002771

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