The guidance of oblique whistler mode waves along magnetospheric field lines

An approximate analytical expression for wave normal angle _g0, at which whistler-mode group velocity is directed along magnetic field line in a hot anisotropic plasma, is derived. This expression is simple enough for practical applications in the magnetospheric conditions and is compatible with the results of numerical analysis for wave frequencies below but not close to the half of electron gyrofrequency.     

Jovian magnetospheric ion cyclotron instability in the presence of parallel electric field

A dispersion relation for left hand circularly polarized electromagnetic wave propagation in an anisotropic magnetoplasma in the presence of a very weak parallel electrostatic field has been derived with the help of linearized Vlasov and Maxwell equations. An expression of the growth rate has been derived in presence of parallel electric field for ion-cyclotron electromagnetic wave in an anisotropic media. The modification made in the growth rate by introducing parallel electric field and temperature anisotropy has been studied for fully ionized hydrogen plasma with the help of observations made on Jovian ionosphere and magnetosphere atL = 5.6 R_j. It is concluded that the growth (damping) of ion-cyclotron electromagnetic wave is possible when the wave vector is parallel (antiparallel) to the static electric field and effect is more pronounced at higher wave number.     

Absorption of very low frequency (VLF) waves in the whistler mode propagation in Jovian ionosphere

Making use of currently available theory of wave absorption, an attempt has been made to estimate the refractive indices and absorption coefficients for different wave frequencies during day and night times in the Jovian ionosphere. The results obtained have striking similarity with the corresponding results in the case of the Earth's ionosphere. It is concluded that VLF signals can be observed more easily during night times.     

Effects of magnetospheric turbulence on electron plasma waves

Our calculations indicate that high frequency plasma waves can be efficiently generated by electrostatic turbulence in the magnetosphere.     

Ion-acoustic waves in non-Maxwellian magnetospheric electron-positron-ion plasma

Using Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic model for nonthermal distributed electron-positron-ion plasma of our Earth’s magnetosphere and the solar wind streaming plasma can drive ion-acoustic waves unstable. It is found that the growth rate increases with the decrease of spectral index and increases with the streaming velocity of the solar wind. The numerical results are also presented by choosing some suitable parameters of magnetospheric plasma.     

Variations of magnetospheric convection electric fields during substorms as inferred from pc1 hydromagnetic waves

The convection electric field in the vicinity of the plasmapause in the midnight sector during magnetospheric substorms has been obtained on the basis of spectral analysis of Pc1 hydromagnetic (HM) waves observed at the low latitude station, Onagawa (Φ = 28.°3, Λ = 206.°8). Variations of the field are consistent for four independent substorm events studied. The calculation implies that the convection electric field increases westwards up to ~1.0 mV/m during the expansion phase of the substorms, changes polarity near the end of the expansion phase, and then points eastwards during the recovery phase.     

Electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in an anisotropic plasma

In the solar wind, electrostatic ion cyclotron waves can be excited, by electrons or ions when the flow velocity becomes supersonic. The instability of these waves is investigated for a situation in which ions are streaming in opposite directions along the interplanetary magnetic field in a uniform background of relatively stationary electrons. Many modes become unstable under the existing conditions. It is conjectured that the excitation of this instability may lead to a steady state electrostatic turbulence in the solar wind.     

Propagation of whistler mode ion-cyclotron wave through multicomponent plasma

The dispersion relation of an ion cyclotron wave propagating through a multicomponent plasma including the effect of ion thermal velocity is analysed and an analytical expression for the group travel time, and the temporal and spatial damping rate is derived. It is shown that the temporal and spatial damping rate increases with temperature and group travel time. The inclusion of thermal effect in group travel time causes a reduction in damping rate. The results are important in the study of the proton whistler propagating through the ionosphere.     

Quasilongitudinal approximation for whistler-mode waves in the magnetospheric plasma

The range of applicability of an improved quasilongitudinal approximation for whistler-mode waves in the equatorial magnetosphere (4 L 6.6) is specified based on the direct comparison between numerical solutions of the hot electromagnetic dispersion equation with the corresponding analytical quasilongitudinal solutions. It is pointed out that this approximation can be used at frequencies ω less than but not close to the electron gyrofrequency Ω (ω 0.6 Ω) and wave normal angles θ less than but not close to the resonance cone angle θ_R. At ω = 0.8 Ω the analytical results deviate considerably from numerical ones due to the strong damping of the waves, and so the quasilongitudinal solution becomes no longer valid.     

Parallel electric field-induced instability in the magnetospheric ion-electron plasma

A complete dispersion relation for a whistler mode wave propagation in an anisotropic warm ion-electron magnetoplasma in the presence of parallel electric field using the dispersion relation for a circularly polarized wave has been derived. The dispersion relation includes the effect of anisotropy for the ion and electron velocity distribution functions. The growth rate of electron-ion cyclotron waves for different plasma parameters observed atL = 6.6R _E has been computed and the results have been discussed in detail in the light of the observed features of VLF emissions and whistlers. The role of the combination of ion-cyclotron and whistler mode electromagnetic wave propagation along the magnetic field in an anisotropic Maxwellian weakly-ionized magnetoplasma has been studied.     

Effect of finite parallel conductivity on the magnetospheric convection

The magnetospheric plasma convection is studied, taking into account the finite conductivity along magnetic field lines. Field-aligned currents flowing at the inner boundary of the magnetospheric plasma sheet give rise to parallel electric fields which insignificantly affect the convection on the ionospheric level but change drastically the convection system in the magnetosphere. Intense azimuthal convective streams arise along both sides of the plasma sheet boundary. A part of convection lines appears to be completely closed in the inner magnetosphere.     

On the influence of a CW whistler on magnetospheric noise

Analysis of the modifications introduced in a turbulent whistler noise spectrum with the injection of a coherent whistler leads to a nonlinear dispersion equation for the stochastic modes. These modes are submitted to real frequency shifts and corrections to their growth rates which are in qualitative agreement with observations made in the Siple Station VLF wave injection experiment showing the creation of noise-free bands when CW whistler modes are transmitted.     

Excitation of whistler waves driven by an electron temperature anisotropy

A 3-D particle simulation of excitation of whistler waves driven by an electron temperature anisotropy (T > T ) is presented. Results show that whistler waves can have appreciable growth driven by the anisotropy. The maximum intensity of the excited whistler waves increases as a quadratic function of the anisotropy. Due to the presence of a threshold, one needs a relatively large electron temperature anisotropy above threshold to generate large-amplitude whistler waves. The average amplitude of turbulence in the context of whistler waves is up to as large as about 1% of the ambient magnetic field when T /T . The total energy density of the whistler turbulence is adequate for production of relativistic electrons in solar flares through stochastic acceleration.     

Observations of electron plasma waves upstream of the Jovian bow shock

The Ulysses spacecraft encountered the planet Jupiter in February 1992, on its journey towards high heliospheric latitude. During the approach to the planet, as well as on the outbound pass, while receding from the Jovian bow shock, the Plasma Frequency Receiver that is part of the Unified Radio and Plasma Wave experiment (URAP) recorded bursts of plasma waves in the frequency range of a few kHz. These emissions, first observed by the PWS experiment onboard the Voyager spacecraft, have been identified as upstream electron plasma waves. In this paper, we present the first analysis of the characteristics of these emissions, which are very similar to those found in the Earth's electron foreshock, upstream of the Earth's bow shock. These bursty emissions, with a peak frequency very close to the local electron plasma frequency F_pe, have a typical electric field amplitude in the range 0.01–0.1 mV m⁻¹, with some bursts above 1 mV m⁻¹. The frequency bandwidth over which significant power can be found above the instrument background noise ranges from below 0.2 F_pc to about 2 F_pc. On the basis of our present knowledge of similar emissions observed at Earth, we suggest that the broadband emissions are triggered by suprathermal (a few tens of eV) electrons, streaming back from Jupiter's bow shock.     

Ponderomotive modification of multicomponent magnetospheric plasma due to electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves

We derive the expression for the ponderomotive force in the real multicomponent magnetospheric plasma containing heavy ions. The ponderomotive force considered includes the induced magnetic moment of all the species and arises due to inhomogeneity of the traveling low-frequency electromagnetic wave amplitude in the nonuniform medium. The nonlinear stationary force balance equation is obtained taking into account the gravitational and centrifugal forces for the plasma consisting of the electrons, protons and heavy ions (He⁺). The background geomagnetic field is taken for the dayside of the magnetosphere, where the magnetic field have magnetic “holes” (Antonova and Shabansky in Geomagn. Aeron. 8:639, 1968). The balance equation is solved numerically to obtain the nonlinear density distribution of ions (H⁺) in the presence of heavy ions (He⁺). It is shown that for frequencies less than the helium gyrofrequency at the equator the nonlinear plasma density perturbations are peaked in the vicinity of the equator due to the action of the ponderomotive force. A comparison of the cases of the dipole and dayside magnetosphere is provided. It is obtained that the presence of heavy ions leads to decrease of the proton density modification.     

Non-linear resonant excitation of whistler mode waves in the earth''s ionosphere using two high frequency transmitters

We discuss the possibility of exciting whistler mode waves (WMWs) in the Earth's ionosphere, by using two high frequency beams of electromagnetic waves (f₁f₂) suitably orientated to the geomagnetic field H_o, so that a non-linear resonant interaction can take place in the natural ionospheric plasma, approximately at the altitude of the F2 maximum electron density. Within the limitations imposed by ionospheric inhomogeneities in the interaction region, it should be possible to excite a WMW which propagates along a predetermined direction, e.g. parallel to H_o.

If we assumef₁ andf₂ to be approx 30 MHz (i.e. well above the ionospheric plasma frequency), this method would make it possible to select and vary the frequency range of the excited WMW up to a few hundreds kHz without substantial alterations to the high frequency transmitting system.

Since the two beams should form an angle close to 90° to the direction of propagation of the WMW, this technique may prove particularly suitable for active wave experiments at low geomagnetic latitudes, where the geometry of the geomagnetic field limits the feasibility of direct wave injection experiments.

Using the results of theoretical calculations of the three wave coupling coefficients, it will be shown that the transmitters required to produce WMWs with field strengths comparable to that of naturally occurring strong whistlers are substantial, but feasible.     

Effect of parallel electric field on electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability in anisotropic plasma in the presence of ion beam and general distribution function—Particle aspect analysis

Dispersion relation, resonant energy transferred, growth rate and marginal instability criteria for the electrostatic ion-cyclotron wave with general loss-cone distribution in low-β anisotropic, homogeneous plasma in the auroral acceleration region are discussed by investigating the trajectories of the charged particles. Effects of the parallel electric field, ion beam velocity, steepness of the loss-cone distribution and temperature anisotropy on resonant energy transferred and growth rate of the instability are discussed. It is found that the effect of the parallel electric field is to stabilize the wave and enhance the transverse acceleration of ions whereas the effect of steepness of loss-cone, ion beam velocity and the temperature anisotropy is to enhance the growth rate and decrease the transverse acceleration of ions. The steepness of the loss-cone also introduces a peak in the growth rate which shifts towards the lower side of the perpendicular wave number with the increasing steepness of the loss-cone.     

Rotational discontinuities in an anisotropic plasma

A general theory of rotational discontinuities is developed and the changes in the components of the plasma pressure, p_| and p, and in the magnetic induction, B, are found. For a given value of λ=(p_| − p) 4πμ/B² upstream only a limited range of downstream anisotropies are possible. If λ>0.6 upstream then isotropy is not possible downstream. Some special solutions are analysed and the identification of rotational discontinuities is the solar wind is discussed.     

Guided waves in magnetospheric tubes of enhanced density

Properties of a guided MHD-wave propagating in a magnetic field tube with the plasma density differing from the ambient density are studied. Like the Alvén wave this wave propagates along the magnetic field and is connected with the field-aligned currents flowing at the periphery of the oscillating tube. The guided wave is accompanied by the magnetic field compression, nevertheless the wave moves without attenuation. The guided wave velocity is between the Alvén velocities inside and outside the oscillating tube. In a tube of elliptical cross-section the propagation velocity depends on the polarization of the wave.     

Measurement of plasma wave electric fields in solar flares

Measurements of electric fields in solar flares using the Stark effect exhibited by neutral helium atoms are reported. Electric field strengths as high as 700 V cm^–1 are observed. Measurements of electron densities indicate that the electric fields originate from nonthermal plasma waves. Analysis of the plasma wave fields coupled with plasma density and temperature measurements indicate that the Lower Hybrid Drift instability may be present in the flaring region.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored bythe National Science Foundation.