Connecting microburst precipitation to its scattering mechanism

Abstract

We will review the main structures in the magnetosphere, the motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields, how particles are accelerated and lost in the magnetosphere, and asses the current state of our understanding of microbursts. Then the rest of this dissertation expands our knowledge of microbursts. In Chapter 2 we will investigate and model the scattering mechanism responsible for microbursts observed inside the outer radiation belt, near the magnetic equator. Then in Chapters 3 and 4 we will investigate the microburst scattering mechanism indirectly by estimating the microburst footprint size in low Earth orbit and the magnetic equator (near where microburst electrons are believed to be scattered) and compare it to sizes of chorus waves estimated in prior literature.