Wind shear

Whistler

Electron precipitation

Computational physics

Geophysics

Physics

Electron

Meteorology

Field line

Magnetosphere

Quantum electrodynamics

Van Allen radiation belt

Quantum mechanics

Relativistic particle

Magnetic field

Microburst

Wind speed

Nuclear physics

Geophysical Research Letters

In this study, by simulating the wave‐particle interactions, we show that subrelativistic/relativistic electron microbursts form the high‐energy tail of pulsating aurora (PsA). Whistler‐mode chorus waves that propagate along the magnetic field lines at high latitudes cause precipitation bursts of electrons with a wide energy range from a few kiloelectron volts (PsA) to several megaelectron volts (relativistic microbursts). The rising tone elements of chorus waves cause individual microbursts of subrelativistic/relativistic electrons and the internal modulation of PsA with a frequency of a few hertz. The chorus bursts for a few seconds cause the microburst trains of subrelativistic/relativistic electrons and the main pulsations of PsA. Our simulation studies demonstrate that both PsA and relativistic electron microbursts originate simultaneously from pitch angle scattering by chorus wave‐particle interactions along the field line.

Relativistic Electron Microbursts as High‐Energy Tail of Pulsating Aurora Electrons