Peculiarities of Precipitating Electron Spectra Revealed Through a Combined DMSP‐ELFIN Data Set

Electron precipitation from the equatorial magnetosphere into Earth's ionosphere constitutes a primary energy source for ionospheric ionization and for the chemistry of the upper atmosphere. Existing precipitation data sets are primarily based on DMSP measurements of plasma sheet electrons with energies 30 keV and therefore do not capture the energetic electron population, which plays a dominant role in lower‐ionosphere dynamics. In this technical report, we present a new data set that combines DMSP measurements with ELFIN observations of energetic electrons exceeding 50 keV. Using conjugate DMSP–ELFIN measurements, we identify approximately individual electron spectra and fit each spectrum with an analytical model. We summarize the primary results from this combined DMSP–ELFIN data set, with particular emphasis on the relative contribution of energetic (30 keV) electrons to the precipitating energy flux. In addition, we describe the software routines developed to facilitate access to and use of the DMSP–ELFIN data set.