Simultaneous Observations of Mirror Mode Structures and Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves in the Earth's Outer Magnetosphere

Abstract Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and mirror mode structures respectively produced by the cyclotron and mirror instabilities are both generated by the temperature anisotropy of ions. However, whether these two instabilities can grow simultaneously in the magnetosphere is still unclear, as well as how they distribute if they can. In this paper, we first report an event of simultaneous observation of mirror mode structures and EMIC waves and then perform a statistical survey in the magnetosphere based on the measurements from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites. The event is observed in the duskside (MLT ∼ 18 hr) of Earth's outer magnetosphere (L ∼ 12) near the magnetic equator (MLAT ∼ 12°). The further linear instability analyses demonstrate that mirror mode structures and EMIC waves can be simultaneously and locally generated in the magnetosphere. The statistical results show that simultaneous mirror mode structures and EMIC waves are mainly distributed in the dawnside and duskside of the outer magnetosphere with slightly larger numbers in the dawnside but no significant differences in the proton number density, and plasma beta, proton temperature anisotropy, power‐weighted wave frequency, and wave normal angle.