Exploring the Parameter Space of the Energy-Dependent Relativistic Electron Drift-Resonant Interaction

Relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt are highly dynamic and respond to interplanetary solar wind structures interacting with the Earth's magnetic field. Electron radial transport and energization result from the drift-resonant interaction with ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves. To understand the electron drift-resonant interaction with ULF waves, we will perform global simulations using conditions that are known to efficiently generate ULF waves in Earth's magnetic field and result in the electron drift-resonant interaction [Komar et al., 2017, doi:10.1002/2017JA024163]. This study will present results from simulations modeling the ring current and radiation belt electron populations in the bounce-averaged, kinetic Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (CIMI) code coupled with the Block Adaptive Tree Solar Wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) global magnetospheric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code using an idealized ULF wave solar wind density driver. We will present preliminary results of our simulation study to investigate how the electron drift-resonant conditions change in response to: (1) different radial profiles of electron phase space density; changing the (2) duration and (3) amplitude of the ULF wave envelope via the idealized solar wind density driver.