Quantifying the Impact of Whistler Waves Near the Lunar Surface Through Observational Data

Abstract

Whistler waves are electromagnetic emissions widely observed in space plasma, and recent observational studies have confirmed their existence near the lunar surface. These waves can significantly affect the incoming plasma, causing electron heating or density depletion. However, the wave-particle interaction between the incoming solar wind and whistler waves near the lunar surface has yet to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, we employ automated methods to identify whistler wave events and investigate their statistical properties using 4 years of ARTEMIS mission data. We find that the occurrence rate and intensity of these waves are influenced by lunar magnetic field anomalies and the lunar orbital locations. To further quantify the effects of these waves, we calculate the quasi-linear diffusion coefficient based on the statistical properties of whistler mode waves near the lunar surface. Our findings indicate that these waves have intense pitch angle scattering effects on energetic electrons $\left(10-1000\text{eV}\right)$. This study improves our understanding of the interaction between waves and particles within the plasma environment near the lunar surface.