Energetic electron scattering by kinetic Alfvén waves at strong magnetic field gradients of dipolarization front

Abstract

Energetic electron scattering and precipitation from the Earth's plasma sheet to the ionosphere is an important contributor to magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling. In this study, we investigate the role of one of the most intense wave emissions, kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs), in energetic electron scattering. We have evaluated the effect of KAWs on energetic electrons within a curved magnetic field configuration exhibiting sharp cross field gradients. The magnetic field in Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet with an embedded dipolarization front is used as a working example. Taking into account electron bounce motion and perpendicular guiding-center drifts, we have shown that electrons with energies of tens to hundreds of keV can be scattered by KAWs in pitch angle and momentum through Doppler-shifted Landau resonance near the magnetic equator. The bounce-averaged pitch-angle diffusion coefficients for near-loss-cone (∼2°) electrons are on the order of 10–7–10–6 rad2/s for a characteristic KAW amplitude of 1 mV/m and approach the strong diffusion limit of ∼10–4 rad2/s for amplitudes of greater than 10 mV/m. These results suggest that under such ambient conditions, KAWs can pitch-angle scatter energetic electron population into the loss cone. In Earth's plasma sheet, this scattering is, thus, very likely to cause significant precipitation during active times. The diffusion coefficients of energetic electrons at large pitch angles (∼45°–∼80°) are more than two orders of magnitude larger than those of electrons near the loss cone, suggesting that KAWs contribute to isotropization of anisotropic electrons due to adiabatic heating should they drift into the vicinity of the magnetic field gradient.