Abstract
Interaction between ultralow frequency (ULF) waves and charged particles plays an important role in the acceleration of particles in the Van Allen radiation belts. The strong wave-particle interaction predicts an energy-dependent observational signature of particle flux variations during different stages of the ULF wave evolution. In this paper, we find that the energetic particle data newly available from an IGSO spacecraft are quite consistent with theoretical predictions, which enables the application of a best-fit procedure to quantitatively extract key parameters of the ULF waves from the particle data. The general agreement between observations and the best-fit results validates the scenario of wave-particle drift resonance within the entire ULF life span, and provides a new technique to understand the ULF wave characteristics in the absence of electromagnetic field data. We also examine the minor differences between observations and the best-fit results, and propose that the differences may result from a longitudinal dependence of the ULF wave power to be considered in a future study.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cummings W D, O’Sullivan R J, Coleman Jr. P J. Standing Alfvén waves in the magnetosphere. J Geophys Res, 1969, 74: 778–793
Chen L, Hasegawa A. A theory of long-period magnetic pulsations: 1. Steady state excitation of field line resonance. J Geophys Res, 1974, 79: 1024–1032
Southwood D J. Some features of field line resonances in the magnetosphere. Planet Space Sci, 1974, 22: 483–491
Takahashi K, McPherron R L. Standing hydromagnetic oscillations in the magnetosphere. Planet Space Sci, 1984, 32: 1343–1359
Kivelson M G, Southwood D J. Resonant ULF waves: A new interpretation. Geophys Res Lett, 1985, 12: 49–52
Anderson B J, Engebretson M J, Rounds S P, et al. A statistical study of Pc 3–5 pulsations observed by the AMPTE/CCE Magnetic Fields Experiment, 1. Occurrence distributions. J Geophys Res, 1990, 95: 10495–10523
Zong Q G, Zhou X Z, Wang Y F, et al. Energetic electron response to ULF waves induced by interplanetary shocks in the outer radiation belt. J Geophys Res, 2009, 114: A10204
Mann I R, Lee E A, Claudepierre S G, et al. Discovery of the action of a geophysical synchrotron in the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. Nat Commun, 2013, 4: 2795
Southwood D J, Kivelson M G. Charged particle behavior in lowfrequency geomagnetic pulsations 1. Transverse waves. J Geophys Res, 1981, 86: 5643–5655
Southwood D J, Kivelson M G. Charged particle behavior in lowfrequency geomagnetic pulsations, 2. Graphical approach. J Geophys Res, 1982, 87: 1707–1710
Zong Q G, Zhou X Z, Li X, et al. Ultralow frequency modulation of energetic particles in the dayside magnetosphere. Geophys Res Lett, 2007, 34: L12105
Claudepierre S G, Mann I R, Takahashi K, et al. Van Allen Probes observation of localized drift resonance between poloidal mode ultralow frequency waves and 60 keV electrons. Geophys Res Lett, 2013, 40: 4491–4497
Dai L, Takahashi K, Wygant J R, et al. Excitation of poloidal standing Alfvén waves through drift resonance wave-particle interaction. Geophys Res Lett, 2013, 40: 4127–4132
Zhou X Z, Wang Z H, Zong Q G, et al. Imprints of impulse-excited hydromagnetic waves on electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts. Geophys Res Lett, 2015, 42: 6199–6204
Glassmeier K H, Volpers H, Baumjohann W. Ionospheric Joule dissipation as a damping mechanism for high latitude ULF pulsations: Observational evidence. Planet Space Sci, 1984, 32: 1463–1466
Shen X C, Zong Q G, Shi Q Q, et al. Magnetospheric ULF waves with increasing amplitude related to solar wind dynamic pressure changes: The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations. J Geophys Res-Space Phys, 2015, 120: 7179–7190
Zhou X Z, Wang Z H, Zong Q G, et al. Charged particle behavior in the growth and damping stages of ultralow frequency waves: Theory and Van Allen Probes observations. J Geophys Res Space Phys, 2016, 121: 3254–3263
Schulz M, Lanzerotti L J. Particle Diffusion in the Radiation Belts. Physics and Chemistry in Space 7. New York: Springer, 1974, 7: 215
Zong Q G, Hao Y X, Zou H, et al. Radial propagation of magnetospheric substorm-injected energetic electrons observed using a BD-IES instrument and Van Allen Probes. Sci China Earth Sci, 2016, 59: 1508–1516
Zou H, Luo L, Li C F, et al. Angular response of ‘pin-hole’ imaging structure measured by collimated β source. Sci China Tech Sci, 2013, 56: 2675–2680
Luo L, Zou H, Zong Q G, et al. Anti-proton contamination design of the imaging energetic electron spectrometer based on Geant4 simulation. Sci China Tech Sci, 2015, 58: 1385–1391
Chen X R, Zong Q G, Zhou X Z, et al. Van Allen Probes observation of a 360° phase shift in the flux modulation of injected electrons by ULF waves. Geophys Res Lett, 2016, in press
Liu W, Sarris T E, Li X, et al. Electric and magnetic field observations of Pc4 and Pc5 pulsations in the inner magnetosphere: A statistical study. J Geophys Res, 2009, 114: A12206
Liu W, Tu W, Li X, et al. On the calculation of electric diffusion coefficient of radiation belt electrons with in situ electric field measurements by THEMIS. Geophys Res Lett, 2016, 43: 1023–1030
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, L., Zhou, X., Zong, Q. et al. Ultralow frequency wave characteristics extracted from particle data: Application of IGSO observations. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 60, 419–424 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-0702-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-0702-4