Upper Limit of Electron Energization in the Near-Earth Plasma Sheet during Substorm Injections

TL;DR

This paper investigates the maximum possible electron energies in Earth's magnetotail during substorm injections, combining satellite observations with simulations to understand the acceleration mechanisms leading to relativistic electrons.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach using the Rice Convection Model to replicate observed electron acceleration, providing new insights into the physical limits of energization during substorms.

Findings

Simulations match observed electron energy spectra and acceleration features.

Electron energies can reach several MeV during substorm injections.

The study constrains the upper limits of electron energization in the magnetotail.

Abstract

The Earth's magnetotail, located on the night side of the magnetosphere, is a dynamic region where magnetic field energy is released and converted into plasma heating, particle acceleration, and kinetic energy through magnetic reconnection. Recent low-altitude observations from the CIRBE CubeSat reveal that the efficiency of particle acceleration in the magnetotail can be high enough to produce relativistic and ultra-relativistic electrons with energies reaching several MeV. To investigate the underlying acceleration mechanisms, we used the Rice Convection Model (RCM) to simulate the observed magnetotail electron populations. The simulations successfully reproduced key features of CIRBE observations, including the spectral shape and energy range of accelerated electrons. This agreement between RCM results and CIRBE observations offers crucial insights into the physical processes responsible for extreme electron acceleration events in the magnetotail.