Radiation Belt Electron Scattering by Chorus Waves in Jupiter's Magnetosphere

Abstract Whistler‐mode chorus waves are recognized as key drivers of both the acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons in Jupiter's magnetosphere. In this study, we investigate the resonant interactions between chorus waves and radiation belt electrons at L ‐shell = 6–12, using a newly developed empirical wave model based on combined Galileo and Juno observations. Owing to a strong dawn‐dusk asymmetry in wave power distribution, electron scattering rates due to duskside chorus waves are almost an order of magnitude stronger than those due to dawnside waves. By calculating the drift‐ and bounce‐averaged electron diffusion coefficients, we model the temporal evolution of electrons at different L ‐shells using two‐dimensional Fokker‐Planck simulations. At L ‐shell = 6, chorus waves exert limited effects on electrons above 200 keV and reduce the flux of electrons below 200 keV by only one order of magnitude over 100 days. At L ‐shell ≥ 8, chorus waves can cause efficient scattering loss of <∼MeV electrons and acceleration of higher energy electrons. The corresponding loss of lower energy electrons is found to be much more efficient than the acceleration of higher energy electrons. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the initial energy spectrum on chorus wave‐induced acceleration of radiation belt electrons. Our findings improve the current understanding of the role of chorus waves in the dynamics of Jupiter's radiation belts.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Published
2026-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026je009958
Primary Topic
Astro and Planetary Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Radiation Belt Electron Scattering by Chorus Waves in Jupiter's Magnetosphere

Wei Xu, Binbin Ni, Xudong Gu, Xing Cao et al.
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Astro and Planetary Science
article

Radiation Belt Electron Scattering by Chorus Waves in Jupiter's Magnetosphere

Wei Xu, Binbin Ni, Xudong Gu, Xing Cao, Shaobei Wang, Minyi Long, Peng Lu, Ruiqi Pan
article en

Abstract

Abstract Whistler‐mode chorus waves are recognized as key drivers of both the acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons in Jupiter's magnetosphere. In this study, we investigate the resonant interactions between chorus waves and radiation belt electrons at L ‐shell = 6–12, using a newly developed empirical wave model based on combined Galileo and Juno observations. Owing to a strong dawn‐dusk asymmetry in wave power distribution, electron scattering rates due to duskside chorus waves are almost an order of magnitude stronger than those due to dawnside waves. By calculating the drift‐ and bounce‐averaged electron diffusion coefficients, we model the temporal evolution of electrons at different L ‐shells using two‐dimensional Fokker‐Planck simulations. At L ‐shell = 6, chorus waves exert limited effects on electrons above 200 keV and reduce the flux of electrons below 200 keV by only one order of magnitude over 100 days. At L ‐shell ≥ 8, chorus waves can cause efficient scattering loss of <∼MeV electrons and acceleration of higher energy electrons. The corresponding loss of lower energy electrons is found to be much more efficient than the acceleration of higher energy electrons. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the initial energy spectrum on chorus wave‐induced acceleration of radiation belt electrons. Our findings improve the current understanding of the role of chorus waves in the dynamics of Jupiter's radiation belts.

Journal of Geophysical Research PlanetsVol. 131(9)
University of Cologne (DE), Wuhan University (CN)
Tencent, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Astro and Planetary Science
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.