A generation mechanism for chorus emission

A chorus generation mechanism is discussed, which is based on interrelation of ELF/VLF noise-like and discrete emissions under the cyclotron wave-particle interactions. A natural ELF/VLF noise radiation is excited by the cyclotron instability mechanism in ducts with enhanced cold plasma density or at the plasmapause. This process is accompanied by a step-like deformation of the energetic electron distribution function in the velocity space, which is situated at the boundary between resonant and nonresonant particles. The step leads to the strong phase correlation of interacting particles and waves and to a new backward wave oscillator (BWO) regime of wave generation, when an absolute cyclotron instability arises at the central cross section of the geomagnetic trap, in the form of a succession of discrete signals with growing frequency inside each element. The dynamical spectrum of a separate element is formed similar to triggered ELF/VLF emission, when the strong wavelet starts from the equatorial plane. The comparison is given of the model developed using some satellite and ground-based data. In particular, the appearance of separate groups of chorus signals with a duration 2–10 s can be connected with the preliminary stage of the step formation. BWO regime gives a succession period smaller than the bounce period of energetic electrons between the magnetic mirrors and can explain the observed intervals between chorus elements.     

Amplitude–frequency characteristics of ion–cyclotron and whistler-mode waves from Van Allen Probes data

Using two-hour (from 2300 UT January 25, 2013 to 0100 UT January 26, 2013) measurement data from Van Allen Probes on fluxes of energetic particles, cold plasma density, and magnetic field magnitude, we have calculated the local growth rate of electromagnetic ion–cyclotron and whistler-mode waves for field-aligned propagation. The results of these calculations have been compared with wave spectra observed by the same Van Allen Probe spacecraft. The time intervals when the calculated wave increments are sufficiently large, and the frequency ranges corresponding to the enhancement peak agree with the frequency–time characteristics of observed electromagnetic waves. We have analyzed the influence of variations in the density and ionic composition of cold plasma, fluxes of energetic particles, and their pitch-angle distribution on the wave generation. The ducted propagation of waves plays an important role in their generation during the given event. The chorus VLF emissions observed in this event cannot be explained by kinetic cyclotron instability, and their generation requires much sharper changes (“steps”) for velocity distributions than those measured by energetic particle detectors on Van Allen Probes satellites.     

Some new possibilities for diagnosing the magnetosphere based on whistler characteristics

Different types of natural electromagnetic emissions are generated in the Earth’s electronic radiation belts. The conditions for generation of these emissions depend on the plasma parameters, geometry of the system, wave transfer processes, and regularities of particle accumulation and precipitation from the magnetic trap. Effective interaction between waves and particles can often be described by the plasma magnetospheric maser theory. A plasma magnetospheric maser actually operates in several main regimes. These regimes are responsible for the generation of VLF emissions with different frequency spectrum dynamics. The regimes replace each other as a result of variations in the local and global characteristics of the magnetosphere. For example, the cyclotron generation dynamics largely depends on the the source power of energetic particles. Several new methods for diagnosing the near-Earth plasma can be implemented if the plasma magnetospheric maser theory is known.     

Whistler–electron interactions in the magnetosphere: new results and novel approaches

Attention is focused here on the quasilinear and nonlinear physics of cyclotron interactions between magnetospheric whistler mode waves and energetic electrons on dipolar geomagnetic flux tubes. These interactions can lead to the generation of noise-like emissions or phase-coherent discrete signals in the frequency-time domain. In the magnetosphere noise-like emissions called hiss are accompanied by a smooth electron precipitation pattern. Examples of discrete emissions are ELF/VLF chorus or VLF emissions triggered by whistlers from lightning or by radio transmitters on the ground. The rapid temporal variations of these signals are associated with fine structure of the distribution function of the radiation belt electrons, such as a transient step-like deformation or a well-organized beam, which are prepared by initial noise-like emissions or by a quasimonochromatic whistler–wave packet, respectively. These cause the properties of the electrons, which may be observed on a satellite, to evolve rapidly in time and on relatively short spatial scales. Bursts of precipitating electrons occur, and can contribute significantly to depleting the radiation belts. Recent results on improvements in the theoretical understanding of such processes and on new observations of magnetospheric electrons and whistler-mode waves are presented.     

A new type of daytime high-frequency VLF emissions at auroral latitudes (“bird emissions”)

This paper is concerned with a new, previously unknown type of high-frequency (above 4 kHz) VLF emissions that were detected during winter VLF campaigns in Kannuslehto (L ~ 5.5), Finland. These previously unknown emissions have been discovered as a result of the application of special digital filtering: it clears the VLF records from pulse signals of intensive atmospherics, which prevent other kinds of VLF emissions in the same frequency range from being seen on spectrograms. As it appears, aside from wellknown bursts of auroral hisses and discrete quasiperiodic emissions, a previously unknown type of daytime right-hand polarized VLF waves is also present at frequencies above 4 kHz. These emissions can persist for several hours as series of separate short discrete wideband (from 4 to 10 kHz and higher) signals, each with a duration between one and several minutes. It has been found that such signals can be observed almost daily in winter. These emissions sound like bird’s chirping to a human ear; for that reason, they were called “bird emissions.” The dynamic spectra of individual signals often resemble flying birds. The signals are observed during daytime, more often in magnetically quiet conditions preceded by geomagnetic disturbances. As a rule, the occurrence of these bird emissions is accompanied by a slight increase in electron density in the lower ionosphere, which is evidence of the precipitation of energetic (>30 keV) electrons. This raises a number of questions as to where and how the VLF bird emissions are generated and how such emissions, at frequencies greatly exceeding half the electron equatorial gyrofrequency at L ~ 5.5, can reach the Earth’s surface.     

A quantitative model for cyclotron wave-particle interactions at the plasmapause

The formation of a zone of energetic electron precipitation by the plasmapause, a region of enhanced plasma density, following energetic particle injection during a magnetic storm, is analyzed. Such a region can also be formed by detached cold plasma clouds appearing in the outer magnetosphere by restructuring of the plasmasphere during a magnetic storm. As a mechanism of precipitation, wave-particle interactions by the cyclotron instability between whistler-mode waves and electrons are considered. In the framework of the self-consistent equations of quasi-linear plasma theory, the distribution function of trapped electrons and the electron precipitation pattern are found. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data obtained from NOAA satellites.     

The “fan” instability as a possible generating mechanism of vlf quarter-gyrofrequency emissions during the recovery phase of a magnetospheric storm

Summary VLF quarter-gyrofrequency emissions, whose experimental characteristics differ from those of discrete plasmaspheric emissions usual during active times, have been observed by low-altitude Intercosmos 24 and Magion 2 satellites within the plasmasphere during periods of quieting geomagnetic activity. A new kind of instability is proposed which could lead to the production of these emissions. It is shown that quasi-electrostatic whistler waves can be generated in the eqquatorial region due to the fan instability, with maximum growth rate and spectral energy density in a frequency band below one half of the equatorial electron gyrofrequency. The observations of low-energy electrons and plasma waves in the equatorial region within or in the vicinity of the plasmapause, which could support our hypothesis experimentally, are discussed.     

Development of geomagnetic storm in VLF noise

The complex geophysical pattern of the development of geomagnetic storm in VLF emissions has been studied based on the satellite data. It has been established that the variations in the LF noise emission intensity (0.1–20.0 kHz) and the energetic electron (E ≥ 40 keV) flux density reflect the processes of magnetospheric plasma reconstruction during geomagnetic disturbances. It has been indicated that a distinct structure of the inner and outer radiation belts is observed under quiet conditions, and the VLF emission maximum was registered at L = 4–5. The inner boundary of the outer radiation belt shifted to lower latitudes, the intensity of the noise VLF emissions increased, and the intensity maximum was displaced to L = 2.5–3.5 during the geomagnetic storm, when the energetic electron flux density increased. The VLF noise spectrum widened toward higher frequencies. The VLF noise level continued increasing, the noise maximum shifted to L = 4–5, and the fluxes of precipitating electrons abruptly increased during the storm recovery phase, when the density of the flux of quasitrapped electrons remained increased for a long time.     

Modeling of nonstationary electron precipitation by the whistler cyclotron instability

We study a simple self-consistent model of a whistler cyclotron maser derived from the full set of quasi-linear equations. We employ numerical calculations to demonstrate dependencies of pulsation regimes of whistler-mode wave interactions with energetic electrons on plasma parameters. Possible temporal evolution of those regimes in real conditions is discussed; calculations are compared with case-study experimental data on energetic electron precipitation pulsations. A reasonable agreement of the model results and the observations has been found.     

地面VLF波穿透电离层的能量衰减变化

地面VLF人工源可以导致辐射带高能粒子沉降.为研究辐射带粒子加速和沉降机制,乃至实现对辐射带电子"人工控制"的设想,需要在精确计算得到VLF人工源在电离层激发电磁场能量分布的基础上,计算哨声波对辐射带电子的调制作用.以往计算VLF人工源在电离层中激发的电磁场能量分布多基于Cary给出的波导中VLF波衰减率和Helliwell提出的经典电离层吸收曲线,但近期研究表明,这些模型结果存在较为明显的误差.本研究建立了地面VLF信号穿透电离层传播的全波计算模型,将计算结果与DEMETER卫星记录的NWC通讯台激发的电磁响应进行对比.虽然模型没有考虑电离层参数水平不均匀性,但模型计算结果与卫星观测值也有较好的一致性.利用经过验证的全波模型计算了不同地磁参数、电离层参数情况下,不同辐射特性的地面VLF辐射在波导中的衰减和穿透电离层时D/E区的吸收值,探讨了上述参数对电磁波能量在波导和D/E区中衰减的影响规律.     

Auroral pulsations and accompanying VLF emissions

Results of simultaneous TV observations of pulsating auroral patches and ELF-VLF-emissions in the morning sector carried out in Sodankylä (Finland) on February 15, 1991 are presented. Auroral pulsating activity was typical having pulsating patches with characteristic periods of about 7 s. Narrow-band hiss emissions and chorus elements at intervals of 0.3–0.4 s formed the main ELF-VLF activity in the frequency range 1.0–2.5 kHz at the same time. The analysis of auroral images with time resolution of 0.04 s allowed perfectly separate analysis of spatial and temporal variations in the auroral luminosity. Mutual correspondence between the behaviour of the luminous auroral patches and the appearance of ELF noise type hiss emissions and VLF chorus trains was found in two intervals chosen for analysis. While the hiss emissions were associated with the appearance of luminosity inside a limited area close to the zenith, the structured VLF emissions were accompanied by rapid motion of luminosity inside the area. The spatial dimension of the pulsating area was about 45–50 km and luminosity propagated inside it with velocity of about 10–12 kms. We discuss a new approach to explain the 5–15 s auroral pulsation based on the theory of flowing cyclotron maser and relaxation characteristics of ionosphere.     

Energetic proton precipitation related to ion–cyclotron waves

This brief review summarizes recent findings related to particle precipitation associated with electromagnetic ion–cyclotron (EMIC) waves seen on the ground as geomagnetic Pc1 and IPDP pulsations.Particle precipitation signatures of ion–cyclotron interaction are described as revealed from low-altitude satellite measurements of the energetic proton fluxes as well as from observations of the proton aurora. As a result, localized proton precipitation patterns situated equatorward of the isotropy boundary are disclosed. One of the patterns is a proton precipitation spot in the morning sector, presumably mapped onto plasmapause; another one is an elongated region of the precipitation, presumably mapped onto the plasmaspheric plume.Clear evidence of the pitch-angle scattering associated with the ion–cyclotron wave activity is found near the equatorial plane in the region conjugated with the localized proton precipitation at low altitude.Thus, the revealed precipitation patterns determine the location of the region of intense pitch-angle scattering of energetic protons, and, therefore, their observations can be used to monitor the region of the ion–cyclotron interaction and to study its origin and properties. Some examples of such application of the low-altitude observations of energetic particles are described.     

Excitation of VLF quasi-electrostatic oscillations in the ionospheric plasma

A numerical solution of the dispersion equation for electromagnetic waves in a hot magnetized collisionless plasma has shown that, in a current-free ionospheric plasma, the distortion of the electron distribution function reproducing the downward flow of a thermal electron component and the compensating upward flow of the suprathermal electrons, which are responsible for the resulting heat flux, can destabilize quasi-electrostatic ion sound waves. The numerical analysis, performed with ion densities and electron temperature taken from the data recorded by the Interkosmos-24 (IK-24, Aktivny) satellite, is compared with a VLF spectrum registered at the same time on board. This spectrum shows a wide frequency band emission below the local ion plasma frequency. The direction of the electron heat flux inherent to the assumed model of VLF emission generation is discussed.     

Quasi-periodic very low frequency emissions, very low frequency chorus, and geomagnetic Pc4 pulsations (Event on April 3, 2011)

The results of an analysis of ground-based observations of very low frequency (VLF) emissions in Scandinavia (L ∼ 5) in April 2011 are discussed. A detailed study is conducted of an non-typical event (April 3, 2011) of simultaneous generation of VLF chorus at frequencies below 3 kHz and quasi-periodic VLF emissions (QP) in the band of 4–6 kHz, which were not discrete emissions but consisted of separate short (about 20 s) bursts of hiss. It is shown that these emissions were mainly characterized by right-hand polarization, which indicates the location of the exit point of waves from the ionosphere near the point of ground observations. Based on an analysis of the spectral characteristics of emissions, it is concluded that the generation regions of chorus and QP emissions were located at different L shells. The appearance of QP emissions coincided with the excitation of resonance geomagnetic pulsations of the Pc4 range in the magnetosphere with a period that was close to the quasi-period of repetition of spectral forms in QP emissions. However, based on the available data, it is not possible to conclude that these geomagnetic pulsations caused the quasi-periodic generation of bursts of VLF hiss. The time shift between the peaks of QP and geomagnetic pulsations was inconsistent and varied from one burst of hiss to another. It is suggested that the discussed QP emissions were a result of the development of self-oscillations in the Earth’s radiation belts.     

Modeling of thundercloud VHF/UHF radiation on the lightning preliminary breakdown stage

It is well known that there are two basic parts of electromagnetic emissions from a thunderstorm cloud. The first one is due to a return stroke and the second is generated by microdischarges on the lightning preliminary stage and between successive return strokes. The purpose of this paper is to consider the second part of electromagnetic emissions from thunderstorm clouds in a frequency range from one to hundreds of MHz. A new approach is developed, which is based on a three-dimensional computer simulation of microdischarge activity in thunderstorm clouds. We suggest that microdischarges on the lightning preliminary stage are connected with the growth of internal electric cell structures in a thunderstorm cloud. The characteristic scale of cells ranges from ten to hundred meters. The source of these cells can be a beam-plasma-like instability in the thunderstorm cloud medium where microdischarges appear as a saturation mechanism for this instability. Interaction of neighboring cells leads to the formation of dynamic chains of microdischarges. Following step-by-step computer simulations, we calculate radio emissions from every microdischarge and sum up the wave amplitudes from all intracloud volume at the reception point. The standard model for a separate microdischarge current is adopted, and the electromagnetic radiation is estimated in the far zone. We obtain the waveforms of electromagnetic field, the temporal development of radiation and the number of electromagnetic pulses. We have found that signal statistics and calculated frequency spectra exhibit a universal power-law (fractal) behavior. The results of simulations are found to be in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data, because the model waveforms demonstrate a close similarity to the observed ones. Also the temporal development with the duration of pulse trains from ten to hundreds of microseconds and the microdischarge number rate up to hundreds of thousands per second are in agreement with the corresponding experimental data.     

高压输电系统引起的空间电磁扰动

随着全球工业化进程的大力推进,高压输电系统逐渐成为电磁环境监测的主要人为干扰源之一。本文总结了以法国DEMETER卫星电磁场数据为主开展的高压电力线辐射研究的最新成果,对电力线产生的各类空间电磁扰动现象及其时空分布特征进行了归纳分析,其中包括电力线谐振辐射(PLHR)、磁层线辐射(MLR)、ELF/VLF辐射、高能粒子沉降等,并对与其耦合机制相关的电磁波传播及波粒相互作用模型进行了总结讨论,旨在对中国电磁监测试验卫星(CSES-1)数据处理方法、干扰识别和地震弱信号提取分析提供更多的参考信息。     

日侧极隙纬度低频波及其与地磁扰动的关系

利用挪威斯瓦尔巴德地区的ＥＬＦ／ＶＬＦ观测资料和世界数据中心公布的Ｋｐ指数，分析了日侧极隙纬度低频波不同季节里的周日变化和１９８４年５月－１９８６年４月的年度变化及这些波与地磁扰动的某些关系．主要结果有：１．夏季ＥＬＦ波出现率极大值最大，而冬季的最小，前者约为后者的３倍，而且此极大值无论哪个季节都出现在磁正午时段．２．ＶＬＦ波出现率在夏季较小冬季较大；其极大值出现在磁午后至磁子夜前的２－４ｈ时段里．３．夏季ＥＬＦ波指数∑Ａ与地磁指数∑ＫＰ日变化较相吻合，在太阳自转周内两者相关系数约为０．６．４．冬季ＶＬＦ波指数∑Ａ与∑Ｋｐ日变化相吻合，在太阳自转周内两者相关系数可达０．８．这些结果表明日侧极隙纬度ＥＬＦ波和ＶＬＦ波各有不同的产生机制和源区．     

Strong localized variations of the low-altitude energetic electron fluxes in the evening sector near the plasmapause

Specific type of energetic electron precipitation accompanied by a sharp increase in trapped energetic electron flux are found in the data obtained from low-altitude NOAA satellites. These strongly localized variations of the trapped and precipitated energetic electron flux have been observed in the evening sector near the plasmapause during recovery phase of magnetic storms. Statistical characteristics of these structures as well as the results of comparison with proton precipitation are described. We demonstrate the spatial coincidence of localized electron precipitation with cold plasma gradient and whistler wave intensification measured on board the DE-1 and Aureol-3 satellites. A simultaneous localized sharp increase in both trapped and precipitating electron flux could be a result of significant pitch-angle isotropization of drifting electrons due to their interaction via cyclotron instability with the region of sharp increase in background plasma density.     

Latest progress on interactions between VLF/ELF waves and energetic electrons in the inner magnetosphere

Interactions between very/extremely low frequency (VLF/ELF) waves and energetic electrons play a fundamental role in dynamics occurring in the inner magnetosphere. Here, we briefly discuss global properties of VLF/ELF waves, along with the variability of the electron radiation belts associated with wave-particle interactions and radial diffusion. We provide cases of electron loss and acceleration as a result of wave-particle interactions primarily due to such waves, and particularly some preliminary results...     

NWC通信台在电离层中激发电磁响应的时变特征

本文利用DEMETER卫星VLF频段电场和磁场频谱数据对DEMETER卫星运行期间2005年至2009年澳大利亚甚低频(Very Low Frequency)通信台NWC发射的通信信号造成的电离层电磁响应的日变化、季节变化及年变化特征进行了统计分析,统计结果表明电磁响应日变化显著,夜间电场强度明显增强可达40dB,磁场变化略小也可为15dB左右,而季节变化不显著,年变化主要受太阳活动的影响,太阳活动越强,电磁响应越小.为解释数据分析结果,对地-电离层电磁波传播过程采用传递矩阵方法进行了模拟计算,模拟结果与数据分析的结果一致.我们认为这种随时间变化的特点可能由250km以下电离层电子密度分布特征导致,因此研究250km以下的电离层电子密度变化可能对寻找地震电离层电磁异常有重要意义.