Journal article
Simultaneous Precipitation of Sub-Relativistic Electron Microburst and Pulsating Aurora Electrons
Geophysical research letters, Vol.50(24), e2023GL104001
12/28/2023
DOI: 10.1029/2023GL104001
Abstract
We have identified for the first time an energy-time dispersion of precipitating electron flux in a pulsating aurora patch, ranging from 6.7 to 580 keV, through simultaneous in-situ observations of sub-relativistic electrons of microburst precipitations and lower-energy electrons using the Loss through Auroral Microburst Pulsation sounding rocket launched from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska. Our observations reveal that precipitating electrons with energies of 180-320 keV were observed first, followed by 250-580 keV electrons 0-30 ms later, and finally, after 500-1,000 ms, 6.7-14.6 keV electrons were observed. The identified energy-time dispersion is consistent with the theoretical estimation that the relativistic electron microbursts are a high-energy tail of pulsating aurora electrons, which are caused by chorus waves propagating along the field line.
Microbursts, which are bursts of high energy electrons, and pulsating auroras, which periodically blink and caused by the precipitation of low energy electrons, are observed in the Earth's polar ionosphere. The detection time differences of the electrons associated with microbursts and pulsating auroras were detected by a sounding rocket. A possible mechanism for the generation of these precipitations is the interaction of electrons with a particular type of wave, known as "chorus," which propagates along geomagnetic lines. The observed energy-time dispersion of the precipitating electrons is quantitatively consistent with theories of electron precipitation based on this interaction.
A sounding rocket observed simultaneously precipitating sub-relativistic electron microbursts and pulsating auroral electrons250-580 keV electron precipitations were detected 0-30 ms after 180-320 keV electron precipitations in a single auroral patchThe energy dispersion of observed electrons is consistent with the theory that they are due to chorus waves propagating to higher latitudes
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Simultaneous Precipitation of Sub-Relativistic Electron Microburst and Pulsating Aurora Electrons
- Creators
- T. Namekawa - Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyT. Mitani - Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyK. Asamura - Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyY. Miyoshi - Nagoya UniversityK. Hosokawa - University of Electro-CommunicationsM. Lessard - University of New Hampshire at ManchesterC. Moser - University of New HampshireA. J. Halford - Goddard Space Flight CenterT. Sakanoi - Tohoku UniversityM. Kawamura - Tohoku UniversityM. Nose - Nagoya City UniversityR. Nomura - Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyM. Teramoto - Kyushu Institute of TechnologyM. Shumko - University of Maryland, College ParkK. A. Lynch - Dartmouth CollegeA. N. Jaynes - University of IowaM. G. Mcharg - United States Air Force Academy
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.50(24), e2023GL104001
- DOI
- 10.1029/2023GL104001
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT) 80NSSC18K0950; 80NSSC18K0952; 80NSSC18K0965 / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), KAKENHI; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) 15H05747; 18KK0100; 20H01959; 21H04526; 22H00173; 22KK0046; 23H01229 / Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/28/2023
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984539650902771
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