Comparison of quasilinear diffusion coefficients for parallel propagating whistler mode waves with test particle simulations

Abstract

[1] We present a comparison between the classical quasilinear diffusion coefficients and those calculated using a general test particle code. The trajectories of a large number of electrons are followed as they traverse a numerically‐ constructed, broadband, small‐amplitude wave field, using a general relativistic test particle code. The change in each electron’s pitch angle and energy is shown to be stochastic and the resulting diffusion of the entire population is found to be in excellent agreement with quasilinear theory. We also demonstrate that the diffusion coefficients presented by Summers, derived specifically for parallel propagating waves, are a factor of two larger than the test particle results if the power spectral density is one‐sided (w > 0). Our results demonstrate the general validity of using quasilinear theory to describe the effects of broadband small amplitude waves on radiation belt electrons. Citation: Tao, X., J. Bortnik, J. M. Albert, K. Liu, and R. M. Thorne (2011), Comparison of quasilinear diffusion coefficients for parallel propagating whistler mode waves with test particle simulations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L06105,