Chorus Wave‐Induced Ionospheric Variability

Abstract

Abstract Electron microbursts are short‐lived but intense electron precipitation and constitute a significant source of electron losses into the ionosphere and lower atmosphere. They are primarily produced by wave‐particle interaction with chorus waves in the magnetosphere. We investigate the effect of chorus wave‐induced electron precipitation on the ionospheric density variability and auroral emission production. The effect of individual microbursts on ionospheric changes is investigated by coupling the Wave‐Particle Interaction model, Geant4 Energetic Particle Precipitation model/Auroral Transport Model, and ionospheric chemistry model. It is found that the response in the ionospheric density is highly dependent on altitude, due to various time scales of different processes involved, including chemistry recovery timescale, individual microburst time duration, and repetition period of chorus waves. Different temporal behaviors are found for green and blue line radiation due to competition of chorus repetition period and radiative timescales.