An energy spectrum of electrons from 180 keV to 550 keV precipitating into the dayside polar ionosphere is observed for the first time by the HEP instrument onboard the RockSat-XN sounding rocket under geomagnetically quiet condition (AE ≤100 nT) at Andøya, Norway. The observed energy spectrum of precipitating electrons follows a power law of -4.86 and the electron flux does not vary much over the observation period (~274.4 seconds). A few minutes before the RockSat-XN observation, POES18 / MEPED observed precipitating electrons, which suggest chorus wave activities at the location close to the rocket trajectory. A ground-based VLF receiver observation at Lovozero, Russia also supports the presence of chorus waves during the rocket observation. A test-particle simulation for wave-particle interactions based on the Arase satellite data shows a similar energy spectrum of precipitating electrons, consistent with the RockSat-XN observation. These results suggest that the precipitation observed by RockSat-XN is likely to be caused by the wave-particle interactions between chorus waves and sub-relativistic electrons.

We study quasi-periodic VLF emissions observed simultaneously by Van Allen Probes spacecraft and Kannuslehto and Lovozero ground-based stations on 25 December 2015. Both Van Allen Probes A and B detected quasi-periodic emissions, probably originated from a common source, and observed on the ground. In order to locate possible regions of wave generation, we analyze wave normal angles with respect to the geomagnetic field, Poynting flux direction, and cyclotron instability growth rate calculated by using the measured phase space density of energetic electrons. We demonstrate that even parallel wave propagation and proper (downward) Poynting flux direction are not sufficient for claiming observations to be in the source region. Agreement between the growth rate and emission bands was obtained for a restricted part of Van Allen Probe A trajectory corresponding to localized enhancement of plasma density with scale of 700~km. We employ spacecraft density data to build a model plasma profile and to calculate ray trajectories from the point of wave detection in space to the ionosphere, and examine the possibility of their exit to the ground. For the considered event, the wave could exit to the ground in the geomagnetic flux tube with enhanced plasma density, that ensured ducted propagation. The region of wave exit was confirmed by the analysis of wave propagation direction at the ground detection point.

Whistler mode chorus waves scatter magnetospheric electrons and cause precipitation into the Earth’s atmosphere. Previous measurements showed that nightside chorus waves are indeed responsible for diffuse/pulsating aurora. Although chorus waves and electron precipitation have also been detected on the dayside, their link has not been illustrated (or demonstrated) in detail compared to the nightside observations. Conventional low-altitude satellite observations do not well resolve the energy range of 10–100 keV, hampering verification on resonance condition with chorus waves. In this paper we report observations of energetic electrons with energies of 30–100 keV that were made by the electron sensor installed on the NASA’s sounding rocket RockSat-XN. It was launched from the Andøya Space Center on the dayside (MLT ~ 11 h) at the L-value of ~ 7 on 13 January 2019. Transient electron precipitation was observed at ~ 50 keV with the duration of <100 s. A ground station at Kola peninsula in Russia near the rocket’s footprint observed intermittent emissions of whistler-mode waves simultaneously with the rocket observations. The energy of precipitating electrons is consistent with those derived from the quasi-linear theory of pitch angle scattering by chorus waves through cyclotron resonance, assuming a typical dayside magnetospheric electron density. Precise interaction region is discussed based on the obtained energy spectrum below 100 keV.

We present simultaneous observations of VLF emissions with periodic (2 or 4 s) bursts by Van Allen Probe near geomagnetic equator and Kannuslehto and Lovozero ground-based sites. The repetition period and ground–spacecraft delay are consistent with guided whistler wave propagation between conjugate ionospheres. In contrast to lightning whistlers, the group velocity dispersion is not accumulated from one burst to another, thus implying a nonlinear mechanism of its compensation. Two regimes are observed. In one regime, Poynting flux direction alternates in the magnetosphere, and the burst period is twice lower than on the ground, that corresponds to single wave packet bouncing along the field line. This regime is switched to the other one, with burst period unchanged in the magnetosphere but halved on the ground. In the second regime, no alternating Poynting flux direction is observed. This second regime corresponds to two symmetrically propagating wave packets synchronously meeting at the equator.