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Quantifying the size and duration of a microburst-producing chorus region on 5 December 2017
  • +17
  • Sadie Suzanne Elliott,
  • Aaron Breneman,
  • Chris A Colpitts,
  • Josh Petitt,
  • Cynthia A. Cattell,
  • Alexa J. Halford,
  • Mykhaylo Shumko,
  • John Sample,
  • Arlo Johnson,
  • Yoshizumi Miyoshi,
  • Yoshiya Kasahara,
  • Christopher M. Cully,
  • Satoko Nakamura,
  • Takefumi Mitani,
  • Tomoaki Hori,
  • Iku Shinohara,
  • K Shiokawa,
  • Shoya Matsuda,
  • Martin Connors,
  • Mitsunori Ozaki
Sadie Suzanne Elliott
University of Minnesota

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Aaron Breneman
University of Minnesota
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Chris A Colpitts
University of Minnesota
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Josh Petitt
University of Colorado
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Cynthia A. Cattell
University of Minnesota
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Alexa J. Halford
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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Mykhaylo Shumko
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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John Sample
Montana State University
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Arlo Johnson
Montana State University
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Yoshizumi Miyoshi
Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University
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Yoshiya Kasahara
Kanazawa University
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Christopher M. Cully
University of Calgary
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Satoko Nakamura
Nagoya University
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Takefumi Mitani
ISAS/JAXA
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Tomoaki Hori
Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University
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Iku Shinohara
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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K Shiokawa
Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
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Shoya Matsuda
Kanazawa University
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Martin Connors
Athabasca University
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Mitsunori Ozaki
Kanazawa University
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Abstract

Microbursts are impulsive (<1s) injections of electrons (few keV to >MeV) from the outer radiation belt into the atmosphere, primarily caused by nonlinear scattering by chorus waves. Although attempts have been made to quantify their contribution to outer belt electron loss, the uncertainty in the overall size and duration of the microburst region is typically large, so that their contribution to outer belt loss is uncertain. We combine datasets that measure chorus waves (Van Allen Probes (RBSP), Arase, ground-based VLF stations) and microburst (>30 keV) precipitation (FIREBIRD II and AC6 CubeSats, POES/MetOp) to determine the size of the microburst-producing chorus source region beginning on 5 December 2017. We show that the lower/upper limits on the long-lasting (~30 hours) microburst precipitation region is 4 to 8 MLT and 2 to 8.5 L. We conclude that microbursts likely represent a major loss source of outer radiation belt electrons for this event.