The spatial localisation of storm-time ULF waves due to plasmaspheric
plumes and implications for calculating radial diffusion
Abstract
The generation and propagation of Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves are
intrinsically coupled to the cold plasma population in the terrestrial
magnetosphere. During geomagnetic storms, extreme reconfigurations of
the cold plasma creates a complex and dynamic system that drastically
modifies this coupling. The extent and manner in which this coupling is
affected remains an open question. In this report, we assess the
coupling between ULF waves and cold plasmaspheric plumes during
geomagnetic storms, and investigate the implications for ULF wave-driven
radial transport of the outer radiation belt population. We present a
series of event studies of Van Allen Probes observations. For each
event, we use inferred measurements of the cold plasma density during
plume crossings, in combination with magnetic and electric field
observations of ULF waves. The event studies show very different, and at
times contrasting, wave behaviour. This includes events where ULF waves
appear to be spatially confined within plume structures. Initial
estimates show that the localised patches of ULF wave power have
significant implications for radial diffusion processes, and highlights
the need for caution in estimating radial diffusion coefficients. We
suggest that the cold plasma dynamics is an important source of
uncertainty in radial diffusion models, and understanding cold
plasma-ULF wave coupling is a critical area of future investigations.