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Qianli Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Qianli Ma.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2024

The Global Mapping of Electron Precipitation and Ionospheric Conductance From Whistler-Mode Chorus Waves

Auroral precipitation is the second major energy source after solar irradiation that ionizes the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Diffuse electron aurora caused by wave-particle interaction in the inner magnetosphere (L < 8) takes over 60% of total auroral energy flux, strongly contributing to the ionospheric conductance and thus to the ionosphere-thermosphere dynamics. This paper quantifies the impact of chorus waves on the diffuse aurora and the ionospheric conductance during quiet, medium, and strong geomagnetic activities, parameterized by AE <100, 100 < AE < 300, and AE > 300, respectively. Using chorus wave statistics and inner-magnetosphere plasma conditions from Timed History Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations, we directly derive the energy spectrum of diffuse electron precipitation under quasi-linear theory. We then calculate the height-integrated conductance from the wave-driven aurora spectrum using the electron impact ionization model of Fang et al. (Geophys. Res. Lett., 2010, 37) and the MSIS atmosphere model. By utilizing Fang’s ionization model, the US Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scattar Radar (NRLMSISE-00) model from 2000s for the neutral atmosphere components, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Full Diffusion Code, we improve upon the standard generalization of Maxwellian diffuse electron precipitation patterns and their resulting ionosphere conductance. Our study of global auroral precipitation and ionospheric conductance from chorus wave statistics is the first statistical model of its kind. We show that the total electron flux and conductance pattern from our results agree with those of Ovation Prime model over the pre-midnight to post-dawn sector as geomagnetic activity increases. Our study examines the relative contributions of upper band chorus (UBC) and lower band chorus wave (LBC) driven conductance in the ionosphere. We found LBC waves drove diffuse electron precipitation significantly more than UBC waves, however it is possible that THEMIS data may have underestimated the upper chorus band wave observations for magnetic latitudes below 65 degrees. ° .

diffuse auroral precipitation↗
NASA NTRS2023

Simulating Electron Distribution Function in the Pulsating Aurora Using Particle and Wave Data of ARASE Satellite

Decades lasting research on the pulsating aurora suggested that this phenomenon forms as result of interactions between the magnetospheric keVs electrons and whistler-mode chorus waves. Arase satellite observation reported the direct evidence for this process confirming in situ measurement of highly correlated precipitated electrons and chorus wave activity. This paper presents the theoretical analysis of this observational event based on the SuperThermal Electron Transport (STET) code that simulates the highly dynamic environment of measured waves and particle data. Specifically, the STET code simulated results confirms the delicate loss-cone observation results of this mission and further reveals the broader energy range of precipitated electron fluxes that was not measurable by Arase satellite.

George V Khazanov↗
NASA NTRS2022

Electron Heat Fluxes Generated by Intense Whistler Waves at the Upper Ionospheric Altitudes

Magnetospheric whistler waves, chorus and hiss, can't provide the resonance heating of the core electron plasma population. However, these whistler-mode branches, can implicitly participate in the heating processes of the core plasma thermal electron population by triggering the electron precipitation over a broad energy range from the magnetosphere and subsequent atmospheric ionization processes leading to the production of superthermal electron population. These superthermal electrons play a large role in the magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere energy interplay with participation of both magnetically conjugate hemispheres, and their Coulomb interaction with background magnetospheric thermal electrons. Using strong hiss and chorus wave events measured by the Van Allen Probes and SuperThermal Electron Transport code, we evaluate the formation of electron heat fluxes at the upper ionospheric altitudes and discuss their consequences on the formation of electron temperature. It is found that chorus and hiss waves that initiate the precipitation of magnetospheric electrons with energies below 30 keV and the follow-up production of secondary electrons play an important role in the energy balance of ionosphere-magnetosphere system.

Magnetospheric whistler waves as an implicit sourc↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ionospheric Response to Electron Precipitation Driven by Whistler-Mode Chorus Waves Measured by Arase Satellite and Simulated by STET and SPEAH-RIT

The origin of pulsating auroras has long been an open question. Arase satellite observation reported the direct evidence that precipitated electrons in pulsating aurora are driven by whistler-mode chorus wave activity. Our study presents the theoretical analysis of this observational event based on SuperThermal Electron Transport (STET) code that simulates the highly dynamic environment of measured wave intensities and particle fluxes. Specifically, the STET code simulated results confirm the delicate loss-cone observation results of this mission and reveal the broader energy range of precipitated electron fluxes that were not measurable by Arase satellite. These highly dynamic precipitating electron fluxes were applied to a newly developed code, the Superthermal Proton, Electron and Atomic Hydrogen tRansport in the Ionosphere and Thermosphere (SPEAH-RIT), to simulate ionospheric response of this phenomena, in particular, the enhancement of electron density, plasma temperatures, and ionospheric electric conductance at the footprints of Arase satellite.

George V. Khazanov↗