Electron Trapping in Shear Alfvén Waves that Power the Aurora

Results from 1D Vlasov drift-kinetic plasma simulations reveal how and where auroral electrons are accelerated along Earth’s geomagnetic field. In the warm plasma sheet, electrons become trapped in shear Alfvén waves, preventing immediate wave damping. As waves move to regions with larger v_Te/v_A, their parallel electric field decreases, and the trapped electrons escape their influence. The resulting electron distribution functions compare favorably with in situ observations, demonstrating for the first time a self-consistent link between Alfvén waves and electrons that form aurora.