The Angular Distribution of Whistler-Mode Chorus Wave Vector Directions from Van Allen Probes and MMS Observations

The dynamics of Earth's outer electron radiation belt is, in part, driven by interactions with whistler-mode chorus waves.  Chorus can cause rapid acceleration of electrons up to relativistic energies, as well as drive precipitation of particles into the atmosphere causing both microbursts and diffuse aurora.  Chorus can propagate in such a way that it crosses the plasmapause boundary and may contribute to the possible sources of plasmaspheric hiss, which itself can cause atmospheric losses of particles and the formation of the slot region between the inner and outer radiation belts.  The direction of the wave vector relative to the background magnetic field is a key parameter for quantifying these processes, since it determines the propagation trajectory of the wave, and is required for calculating the resonance condition of the wave-particle interaction.

The orientation of the wave vector is investigated using both survey mode data and high-resolution burst mode observations from the EMFISIS Waves instrument on the Van Allen Probes spacecraft.  Spatial coverage beyond the Van Allen Probes orbit is provided by burst-mode observations from the FIELDS instrument suite on Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS).  The polar and azimuthal wave vector angles are considered using both spectral analysis, where the frequency-time structure can be resolved, and instantaneous values, which can be used to identify variations within individual chorus subpackets.  We compare the results from each of these different timescales.  Near strong plasma density gradients, such as those which occur on the boundaries of plasmaspheric plumes, we identify that the wave vector becomes more oblique than the general case where no density gradients are present.  The obliquity of the wave vector is shown to directly relate to both the magnitude of the density gradient, and its proximity to the spacecraft.