Betatron Cooling of Electrons in Martian Magnetotail

Betatron cooling, a plasma process losing particle energy in the perpendicular direction but reserving particle energy in the field-aligned direction, is a consequence of magnetic depression under the conservation of magnetic moment. Such process has been widely studied in the Earth's magnetosphere but has never been reported in other planetary environment. Here, by utilizing the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) measurements, we report two events of betatron cooling in the Martian magnetotail. In one of the events, betatron cooling occurs in the suprathermal and energetic ranges of electrons, whereas in the other event, it occurs in the thermal-energy range. We quantitatively reproduce these two processes by using an analytical model. Gratifyingly, the cooling factor derived from the analytical model agrees well with the observation of magnetic depression. These results, for the first time demonstrating the betatron-cooling effect beyond the Earth, are useful to understand the electron dynamics in the planetary magnetosphere.

Automated summary

This study reports two events of betatron cooling in the Martian magnetotail using MAVEN measurements, successfully reproducing these processes quantitatively with an analytical model. The results demonstrate the betatron-cooling effect beyond the Earth and provide insights into electron dynamics in the planetary magnetosphere.