SAID/SAPS-related VLF waves and the outer radiation belt boundary

Abstract

We explore Cluster and CRRES observations of plasmaspheric broadband hiss-like VLF emissions related with subauroral ion drifts/polarization streams (SAID/SAPS) to numerically simulate losses of energetic outer zone electrons due to wave-particle interactions. These emissions represent a distinctive subset of substorm/storm-related VLF activity in the region co-located with substorm injected energetic ions. Significant values of pitch-angle diffusion coefficients suggest that SAID/SAPS-related VLF waves could be responsible for the alteration of the outer radiation belt boundary during (sub)storms. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.