Energetic Electron Precipitation and Associated Scattering Processes: Recent Advances and Remaining Questions

Abstract:

The outer radiation belt is a highly dynamic environment and cyclotron resonant wave-particle interactions play a large role in the structure and variability of this region. Here we’ll highlight some new observations of radiation belt precipitation loss – determined from trapped electron morphology, detailed new wave measurements, and directly measured precipitating electrons. Through a combination of equatorial wave and particle measurements and low altitude precipitation measurements, we explore the nature and extent of electron loss to the atmosphere as well as what electromagnetic wave modes may be causing it. Recent event studies of conjugate precipitation and waves have provided some insight into causes of different types of precipitation, but understanding of the detailed energy spectra of such events, as well as what fraction of them can be attributed to different wave modes, is still in progress.