Generation of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC)Waves in a Compressed Dayside Magnetosphere

• Author / Creator

  Usanova, Maria

• Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves are believed to play an important
  role in the dynamics of energetic particles (both electrons and ions) trapped
  by the Earths magnetic field causing them to precipitate into the ionosphere via resonant interaction. In order to incorporate the EMIC-related loss processes into global magnetospheric models one needs to know solar wind and magnetospheric conditions favourable for EMIC wave excitation as well as the localization of the waves in the magnetosphere. EMIC waves are generated by anisotropic (Tperp/Tpara > 1) ion distributions. Generally, any process that leads to the formation of such distributions may be responsible for EMIC wave initiation. This thesis discusses magnetospheric compression as a new principal source of EMIC wave generation in the inner dayside magnetosphere.
  First, using ground-based and satellite instrumentation, it is shown that EMIC
  waves are often generated in the inner dayside magnetosphere during periods
  of enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure and associated dayside magnetospheric compression. The compression-related EMIC wave activity usually lasts for several hours while the magnetosphere remains compressed. Also, it is demonstrated that EMIC waves are generated in radially narrow (1 Re wide) region of high plasma density, just inside the plasmapause.
  Test particle simulations of energetic ion dynamics performed for this study
  confirmed that anisotropic ion distributions are generated in the compressed
  dayside magnetosphere, the temperature anisotropy being dependant on the
  strength of magnetospheric compression. It is found that in the inner magnetosphere these anisotropic particle distributions are formed due to particle drift shell-splitting in an asymmetric magnetic field.
  Finally, the generation of EMIC waves was studied self-consistently using a
  hybrid particle-in-cell code in order to determine whether the degree of anisotropy estimated from the test particle simulations is sufficient to produce EMIC waves like those detected and to explain some of the observed wave properties.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • EMIC waves
  • Plasmapause
  • Energetic particles

• Graduation date

  Fall 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3KS6B

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.