Simulating Bouncing Packets Driven by Ducted Lightning‐Generated Whistlers: Comparison With SAMPEX Observations
L. Gan, W. Li, Q. Ma, L. Blum, D. Miller, X. LiAbstract
Bouncing packets are quasi‐periodic microbursts separated by the electron bounce period. Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer observations revealed relativistic (>1 MeV) inner‐belt bouncing packets with “crown,” “decaying,” and “flat” envelopes. We test whether ducted lightning‐generated whistlers (LGWs) produce these evolutions through frequency dispersion and extended field‐aligned propagation. We use a quasilinear precipitation model driven by pitch angle diffusion from ducted LGWs (100 Hz–10 kHz), with storm‐time Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment observations at L = 2 specifying the initial relativistic electron distribution. The simulations reproduce the observed shapes and relative burst amplitudes. LGW dispersion naturally produces a dual‐component signature: an impulsive, bounce‐phase‐bunched burst component and a smooth component from interactions with stretched, long‐duration LGWs. The smooth component dominates total flux, so baseline removal may underestimate precipitation.