Resonant Interactions Between Relativistic Electrons and EMIC Waves Modified by Partial Shell Proton Velocity Distributions

Abstract

AbstractResonant interactions of relativistic electrons with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves were previously considered under the cold plasma approximation or in hot plasmas with bi‐Maxwellian distributions. Here, we examine their resonant interactions in hot plasmas with partial shell distributions and find that such distributions can significantly alter the dispersion relation of EMIC waves and thus the corresponding wave‐induced electron pitch angle scattering rates and loss timescales compared to those under the cold plasma assumption. Regardless of wave band and frequency, partial shell distributed hot protons tend to uplift the electron minimum resonant energy, and reduce (raise) the pitch angle scattering rates of electrons at low (high) energies and large (small) pitch angles. Correspondingly, the loss timescales lengthen for low‐energy electrons but shorten for high‐energy electrons. Such tendencies are generally more significant for lower‐frequency EMIC waves and larger shell temperature, anisotropic degree, and concentration.