Whistler‐Mode Waves on Density and Magnetic Shelves

Abstract

AbstractThis study presents a recent finding of magnetic shelf structures and packages of whistler‐mode waves in the data obtained from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission satellite in the equatorial magnetosphere. These observations are compared with the waves observed on density shelves by the NASA Van Allen Probes (aka RBSP) mission. By employing simulations of the electron‐MHD model, we explain that similar to the density shelf ducting, magnetic shelves effectively guide whistler‐mode waves along the ambient magnetic field with little attenuation. The parameters of the guided waves depend on the parameters of the shelves. We discuss the similarities and differences of the wave guided by the density and magnetic field shelf‐like structures. The simulations successfully reproduce the parameters of the observed waves.