Whistler-mode chorus waves at Mars

Shangchun Teng, Yifan Wu, Yuki Harada, Jacob Bortnik, Fulvio Zonca, Liu Chen and Xin Tao ()
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Shangchun Teng: University of Science and Technology of China
Yifan Wu: University of Science and Technology of China
Yuki Harada: Kyoto University
Jacob Bortnik: University of California at Los Angeles
Fulvio Zonca: Center for Nonlinear Plasma Science and C.R. ENEA Frascati
Liu Chen: Zhejiang University
Xin Tao: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Chorus waves are naturally occurring electromagnetic emissions in space and are known to produce highly energetic electrons in the hazardous radiation belt. The characteristic feature of chorus is its fast frequency chirping, whose mechanism remains a long-standing problem. While many theories agree on its nonlinear nature, they differ on whether or how the background magnetic field inhomogeneity plays a key role. Here, using observations of chorus at Mars and Earth, we report direct evidence showing that the chorus chirping rate is consistently related to the background magnetic field inhomogeneity, despite orders of magnitude difference in a key parameter quantifying the inhomogeneity at the two planets. Our results show an extreme test of a recently proposed chorus generation model and confirm the connection between the chirping rate and magnetic field inhomogeneity, opening the door to controlled plasma wave excitation in the laboratory and space.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38776-z

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