Relativistic electron microbursts due to nonlinear pitch angle scattering by EMIC triggered emissions

Abstract

We show that the anomalous cyclotron resonance between relativistic electrons and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) triggered emissions takes place very effectively near the magnetic equator because of the variation of the ambient magnetic field. Efficient precipitations are caused by nonlinear trapping of relativistic electrons by electromagnetic wave potentials formed by EMIC triggered emissions. We derive the necessary conditions of the wave amplitude, kinetic energies, and pitch angles that must be satisfied for the nonlinear wave trapping. We have conducted test particle simulations with a large number of relativistic electrons trapped by a parabolic magnetic field near the magnetic equator. In the presence of coherent EMIC-triggered emissions with increasing frequencies, a substantial amount of relativistic electrons is trapped by the wave, and the relativistic electrons at high pitch angles are guided to lower pitch angles within a short time scale much less than a second, resulting in rapid precipitation of relativistic electrons or relativistic electron microbursts.