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Radio waves and whistler-mode waves in solar wind and their interactions with energetic electrons
  • +6
  • Cynthia Cattell,
  • Aaron Breneman,
  • Lindsay Glesener,
  • Ben Leiran,
  • Ben Short,
  • Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros,
  • Jasper Halekas,
  • Parker Solar Probe FIELDS TEAM,
  • Parker Solar Probe SWEAP Team
Cynthia Cattell
School of Physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Aaron Breneman
School of physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota
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Lindsay Glesener
School of Physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota
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Ben Leiran
School of Physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota
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Ben Short
School of Physics and Astronomy University of Minnesota
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Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros
Space Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley
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Jasper Halekas
Dept. of Physics, University of Iowa
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Parker Solar Probe FIELDS TEAM
Space Sciences Lab University of Californai
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Parker Solar Probe SWEAP Team
University of Michigan
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Abstract

The role of waves in the propagation, scattering and energization of electrons in the solar wind has long been a topic of interest. Conversely, understanding the excitation of waves by energetic electrons can provide us with a diagnostic for the processes that accelerate the electrons. We will discuss two different processes: (1) the interaction of narrowband whistler-mode waves with solar wind electrons, and (2) how periodic Type III radio bursts yield clues to small-scale acceleration of energetic electrons in the solar corona. Waveform captures in the solar wind at 1 AU obtained by the STEREO revealed the existence of narrowband large amplitude whistler mode waves, propagating at highly oblique angles to the magnetic field. Similar waves are less commonly seen inside .2 AU by Parker Solar Probe. The differences provide clues for understanding electron propagation, scattering and energization. Type III radio bursts have long been used as remote probes of electron acceleration in the solar corona. The occurrence of periodic behavior in Type III bursts observed by Parker Solar Probe, Wind and STEREO when there are no observable flares provides a unique opportunity to diagnose small-scale acceleration of electrons in the corona. Periodicities of ~ 5 minutes in the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) Extreme Ultraviolet data in several areas of an active region are well correlated with the repetition rate of the Type III radio bursts. Similar periods occur in the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI )data. These results provide evidence for acceleration by wave-modulated reconnection or small-scale size waves, such as kinetic Alfven waves, even during intervals with no observable flares. The possible connections between these two phenomena will be addressed.