Spectrum characteristics of electromagnetic ion cyclotron triggered emissions and associated energetic proton dynamics

We perform parametric analyses of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) triggered emissions with a gradient of the nonuniform ambient magnetic field using a hybrid simulation. According to nonlinear wave growth theory, as the gradient of the ambient magnetic field becomes larger, the theoretical threshold of the wave amplitude becomes larger, although the optimum wave amplitude for nonlinear wave growth does not change. With a larger magnetic field gradient, we obtain coherent rising‐tone spectra because the triggering process of the EMIC triggered emission takes place only under a limited condition on the wave amplitude. On the other hand, with a smaller magnetic field gradient, triggering of the emissions can be caused with various wave amplitudes, and then the subpackets are generated at various locations at the same time. The concurrent triggering of emissions results in incoherent waves, observed as “broadband” EMIC bursts. Broadband emissions induce rapid precipitation of energetic protons into the loss cone since the scattering by the concurrent triggering takes place faster than that of the coherent emissions. The coherent triggered emission causes efficient proton acceleration around the equator because of the stable particle trapping by the coherent rising‐tone emission. Key Points A small magnetic field gradient induces concurrent EMIC triggered emissions Concurrent emissions result in incoherent waves and rapid proton precipitation A coherent rising tone causes efficient proton acceleration near the equator