Abstract
AbstractWhistler mode waves have been proposed as a crucial mechanism in determining the velocity‐space distribution of electrons on the dayside crustal magnetic fields of Mars. A superthermal electron transport model has been unable to reproduce the observed pitch angle distributions on a crustal field line. The two key differences are that the observed pitch angle distributions are much more isotropic and the observed high energy pitch angle distributions have a flux peak at perpendicular pitch angles. We solve the bounce‐averaged quasi‐linear diffusion equation to calculate the steady‐state pitch angle distribution of electrons along a crustal field line when in resonance with whistler mode waves. We perform two simulations, changing the background ionosphere, which affects what energies are in resonance with the whistler mode wave. The wave parameters are chosen based on previous observations of whistlers at Mars. Our results reconcile both qualitative differences between the previous data‐model comparisons.
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