EMIC Waves in Space Plasmas (Invited)

Abstract:

Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves are found throughout the heliosphere and are thought to control key transport and heating processes. EMIC waves are thought to play an important role in coronal heating and control of anisotropy in the solar wind. At Earth's magnetosphere EMIC waves can heat ionospheric ions, leading to outflows and mass loading of the magnetosphere. EMIC waves, generated in the ring current region, can also facilitate rapid loss of radiation belt electrons. Because they are particularly sensitive to heavy ion dynamics, EMIC waves can also be used as a diagnostic of heavy ion concentrations in planetary magnetospheres. Application of theory, ray tracing, full-wave approaches, and fluid/particle simulation techniques has led to significant advances in understanding of the generation, propagation, mode conversion, and dissipation of EMIC waves as well as associated transport and heating processes. We review successes in modeling EMIC waves, limitations of modeling techniques, and outstanding physics questions that remain.