Quantifying Energetic Electron Precipitation by Wave-Particle Interactions in the Inner Magnetosphere and Their Atmospheric Impacts

Energetic electron precipitations (EEPs) from the inner magnetosphere are mainly caused by waves, for example, whistler mode chorus waves, hiss waves, electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves, and electrostatic cyclotron harmonic waves. EEPs can influence the atmosphere by triggering auroral emissions and producing NOx in the upper atmosphere. Therefore, it is very important to quantify the EEPs by waves and their effects on the atmosphere.

In this presentation, we will present new lifetime models of energetic electrons that we developed recently to quantify the EEPs caused by whistler mode chorus waves. Using these lifetime models, we perform numerical simulations to calculate the precipitation of energetic electrons from the inner magnetosphere. Using the calculated EEPs, we calculate ionization rates, which quantify how efficiently precipitating particles interact with atmospheric molecules. We show that the inclusion of additional scattering mechanisms, beyond those accounted for in up-to-date hiss and chorus models, is essential for the accurate estimation of precipitated electrons and their atmospheric effects.