Statistical Study of Approaching Strong Diffusion of Low‐Energy Electrons by Chorus and ECH Waves Based on <i>In Situ</i> Observations
Mizuki Fukizawa, Takeshi Sakanoi, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Y. Kazama, Yuto Katoh, Yoshiya Kasahara, Shoya Matsuda, Atsushi Kumamoto, Fuminori Tsuchiya, Ayako Matsuoka, Satoshi Kurita, Satoko Nakamura, Masafumi Shoji, M. Teramoto, Shun Imajo, Iku Shinohara, Shiang‐Yu Wang, Sunny W. Y. Tam, T. F. Chang, B.‐J. Wang, Chae‐Woo Jun
Abstract
Abstract Inner magnetospheric electrons are precipitated in the ionosphere via pitch‐angle (PA) scattering by lower band chorus (LBC), upper band chorus (UBC), and electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves. However, the PA scattering efficiency of low‐energy electrons (0.1–10 keV) has not been investigated via in situ observations because of difficulties in flux measurements within loss cones at the magnetosphere. In this study, we demonstrate that LBC, UBC, and ECH waves contribute to PA scattering of electrons at different energy ranges using the Arase (ERG) satellite observation data and successively detected the moderate loss cone filling, that is, approaching strong diffusion. Approaching strong diffusion by LBC, UBC, and ECH waves occurred at ∼2–20 keV, ∼1–10 keV, and ∼0.1–2 keV, respectively. The occurrence rate of the approaching strong diffusion by high‐amplitude LBC (>50 pT), UBC (>20 pT), and ECH (>10 mV/m) waves, respectively, reached ∼70%, ∼40%, and ∼30% higher than that without simultaneous wave activity. The energy range in which the occurrence rate was high agreed with the range where the PA diffusion rate of each wave exceeded the strong diffusion level based on the quasilinear theory.