Statistical Analysis of High-frequency Whistler Waves at Earth's Bow Shock: Further Support for Stochastic Shock Drift Acceleration

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Autores principales: Amano, Takanobu, Masuda, Miki, Oka, Mitsuo, Kitamura, Naritoshi, Contel, Olivier Le, Gershman, Daniel J.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
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author Amano, Takanobu
Masuda, Miki
Oka, Mitsuo
Kitamura, Naritoshi
Contel, Olivier Le
Gershman, Daniel J.
author_facet Amano, Takanobu
Masuda, Miki
Oka, Mitsuo
Kitamura, Naritoshi
Contel, Olivier Le
Gershman, Daniel J.
contents We statistically investigate high-frequency whistler waves (with frequencies higher than $\sim 10$ % of the local elect ron cyclotron frequency) at Earth's bow shock using Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) spacecraft observations. We focus specifically on the wave power within the shock transition layer, where we expect electron acceleration via stochastic sh ock drift acceleration (SSDA) to occur associated with efficient pitch-angle scattering by whistler waves. We find that the wave power is positively correlated with both the Alfvén Mach number in the normal incidence frame $M_{\rm A}$ and in the de Hoffmann-Teller frame $M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn}$. The empirical relation with $M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn}$ is compared with the theory of SSDA that predicts a threshold wave power proportional to $(M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn})^{-2}$. The result suggests that the wave power exceeds the theoretical threshold for $M_{\rm A} / \cos θ_{Bn} \gtrsim 30-60$, beyond which efficient electron acceleration is expected. This aligns very well with previous statistical analysis of electron acceleration at Earth's bow shock (M. Oka, G eophys.~Res.~Lett., 33, 5, 2006). Therefore, we consider that this study provides further support for SSDA as the mechanism of electron acceleration at Earth's bow shock. At higher-Mach-number astrophysical shocks, SSDA will be able to inject electrons into the diffusive shock acceleration process for subsequent acceleration to cosmic-ray energies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_07404
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Statistical Analysis of High-frequency Whistler Waves at Earth's Bow Shock: Further Support for Stochastic Shock Drift Acceleration
Amano, Takanobu
Masuda, Miki
Oka, Mitsuo
Kitamura, Naritoshi
Contel, Olivier Le
Gershman, Daniel J.
Space Physics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
We statistically investigate high-frequency whistler waves (with frequencies higher than $\sim 10$ % of the local elect ron cyclotron frequency) at Earth's bow shock using Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) spacecraft observations. We focus specifically on the wave power within the shock transition layer, where we expect electron acceleration via stochastic sh ock drift acceleration (SSDA) to occur associated with efficient pitch-angle scattering by whistler waves. We find that the wave power is positively correlated with both the Alfvén Mach number in the normal incidence frame $M_{\rm A}$ and in the de Hoffmann-Teller frame $M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn}$. The empirical relation with $M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn}$ is compared with the theory of SSDA that predicts a threshold wave power proportional to $(M_{\rm A}/\cos θ_{Bn})^{-2}$. The result suggests that the wave power exceeds the theoretical threshold for $M_{\rm A} / \cos θ_{Bn} \gtrsim 30-60$, beyond which efficient electron acceleration is expected. This aligns very well with previous statistical analysis of electron acceleration at Earth's bow shock (M. Oka, G eophys.~Res.~Lett., 33, 5, 2006). Therefore, we consider that this study provides further support for SSDA as the mechanism of electron acceleration at Earth's bow shock. At higher-Mach-number astrophysical shocks, SSDA will be able to inject electrons into the diffusive shock acceleration process for subsequent acceleration to cosmic-ray energies.
title Statistical Analysis of High-frequency Whistler Waves at Earth's Bow Shock: Further Support for Stochastic Shock Drift Acceleration
topic Space Physics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.07404