SHINE: Electron Pitch-Angle Scattering during Solar Electron Bursts

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

The PI plans a comprehensive analysis of solar electron bursts observed during solar cycle 23 by the WIND, ACE, and Genesis spacecraft. In this investigation, the PI and his collaborators will compare in situ measurements with published simulation results. The PI will calculate the widths of electron pitch angle distributions (PADs) before, during, and after bursts for a wide variety of electron energies. The PI will also characterize the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) before, during, and after the electron bursts. He will then determine if these PAD, solar wind plasma, and IMF signatures are consistent with pitch-angle scattering by the electron/electron instability. In non-broadened bursts, the PI will determine if the PAD, solar wind plasma, and IMF characteristics are consistent with pitch-angle scattering by broadband whistler turbulence. Since the electron/electron instability can generate Type III radio bursts, the PI and his collaborators will determine the correlation between broadened solar electron bursts and Type III radio bursts. The PI notes that an improved understanding of electron propagation during solar bursts addresses the ongoing controversy concerning the acceleration of electrons in the solar corona and their injection into the interplanetary medium. Electron pitch-angle scattering during bursts can also serve as a proxy for electron scattering during other forms of solar activity, including CMEs, and it may be important in resolving the solar magnetic flux budget. During this research project, the PI plans to mentor summer students and involve them in the analysis of the WIND, ACE, and Genesis spacecraft observations. The students will be participants in the Boulder Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which is jointly managed by the University of Colorado and NOAA's Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship program.