Abstract
Whistler mode chorus waves in the outer Van Allen belt can have consequences for acceleration of relativistic electrons through wave-particle interactions. New multicomponent waveform measurements have been collected by the Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science's Waves instrument.
We detect fine structure of chorus elements with peak instantaneous amplitudes of a few hundred picotesla but exceptionally reaching up to 3 nT, i.e., more than 1% of the background magnetic field. The wave vector direction turns by a few tens of degrees within a single chorus element but also within its subpackets.
Our analysis of a significant number of subpackets embedded in rising frequency elements shows that amplitudes of their peaks tend to decrease with frequency. The wave vector is quasi-parallel to the background magnetic field for large-amplitude subpackets, while it turns away from this direction when the amplitudes are weaker.
Key Points Direct 3-D measurements of the magnetic field of intense chorus subpackets First detection of variations of the wave vector direction within subpackets Wave vector angles are anticorrelated with the logarithm of peak amplitudes