Predicting EMIC wave properties from ring current plasma conditions

Abstract:

Recently, sophisticated computer models have shown that accurate, dynamic modelling of the energetic electrons in the radiation belt requires global and real-time plasma and wave conditions. Data provided by in-situ spacecraft measurement are too sparse to supply enough inputs for continuous global modeling of the radiation belt. Here we present a model to predict amplitude, peak frequency and spectral width of the electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave from the anisotropic ring current ion distributions, which are the source of the wave. The model is derived from hybrid simulations in a large initial parameter space for plasmas consisting of electrons, protons, and helium ions. Key parameters include the ratio of plasma frequency to ion gyrofrequency, the density, temperature and anisotropy of hot ions, and the cold-ion composition. The results show that amplitude, peak frequency and spectral width of EMIC waves can be related to linear properties of the anisotropy-driven instability, e.g. growth rate and plasma beta, through simple analytic formulas. Combined with a dynamic ring current model, this model can provide global EMIC wave information needed for radiation-belt modeling.