Kinetic effects in the acceleration of auroral electrons in small scale Alfven waves: A FAST case study

In this report we examine the importance of ion and electron kinetic effects in the acceleration of electrons in small scale Alfven waves above the auroral oval. We implement a 1‐D two‐fluid MHD code approximating the effects of electron inertia and ion and electron temperatures to evaluate their role in accounting for the observed energies of field‐aligned electron bursts found in coincidence with these waves above the auroral oval. FAST spacecraft data for a case study event characterized by large auroral ion energies and a hot plasma sheet is employed to define the plasma through which the wave propagates. It is found that strong kinetic effects at altitudes below 5 Earth radii may significantly reduce the amount of electron acceleration possible in the wave in terms of both energy and flux.