Enhanced Efficiency of Solar Wind Electron Interaction with Whistlers Caused by Switchback-related Magnetic Dips

Abstract

Through test particle simulations based on solar wind observations by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission, we demonstrate that a magnetic gradient can significantly enhance the efficiency of scattering and energization of the strahl electrons by quasi-parallel whistlers, through the phase trapping effect due to the gyrosurfing mechanism. We identify quasi-linear and nonlinear regimes of these interactions for different combinations of wave amplitude ( B _w / B _0 ) and the strength of the magnetic field gradient with magnetic field depletion level ( B _h / B _0 ) as a proxy. Nonlinear effects are observed for B _w / B _0 ≳ 10 ^−3 and B _h / B _0 ≳ 0.1. We estimated the extending of the resonant energy range due to the wave and the magnetic field gradient interplay and demonstrated that these mechanisms result in the broadening of the strahl electron pitch-angle distribution typically observed in situ. The combination of parallel whistlers collocated with a magnetic gradient is frequently observed by PSP in magnetic dips at the edges of magnetic switchbacks. Our results indicate that these mechanisms may be highly relevant for pitch-angle scattering of the strahl electrons and regulating the heat flux near the Sun at heliocentric distances of 30–45 R _S . Specifically, core and halo electrons may experience a 10% increase in their initial energy, and the majority of strahl electrons may be scattered (by an average of 30°) into the hot and trapped plasma inside magnetic dips.

Keywords

• Solar wind