First Observation of Electron Cyclotron Harmonic Waves Inside Mirror Mode Structures in the Earth's Outer Magnetosphere

Abstract

Abstract Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves are one of the most common plasma waves in the Earth's magnetosphere, and they are considered to be excited by the electron loss‐cone distributions near the magnetic equator. Using the Magnetospheric Multiscale data, we report an unusual event of ECH waves at L = ∼12.4 and MLT = ∼16.0 hr, where the ECH waves are locally excited inside non‐propagating magnetic oscillations, that is, mirror mode structures. The observation reveals that the mirror mode structures are generated by anisotropic ions (Ti⊥/Ti∥ ∼ 1.3 – 1.7), and electron mirror loss‐cone distributions are formed due to the magnetic configuration of the mirror mode structures. Combing with the linear instability analysis, we confirm that the ECH waves are locally excited by the electron mirror loss‐cone distributions inside the mirror mode structures. Therefore, we propose that the mirror mode structures provide another potential source region for ECH waves in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Keywords

• electron cyclotron harmonic wave
• mirror mode structure
• electron mirror loss‐cone distribution
• magnetosphere