Rapid reversals of polarization in spikes and fast fine structures

We briefly describe the polarization state of the spike groups and fast fine structures superimposed on the 47GB microwave burst of 1991 May 16. At two frequencies 100 MHz apart, namely, 2645 and 2545 MHz, the polarization showed rapid reversals on short time scales of the order of 50 100ms. We think this is probably related to fluctuations on both short time and small spatial scales, in the plasma density and magnetic field of the emission region. Thése oscillations cause the plasma and cyclotron frequency ratio to vary around the value of , thus making the electron cyclotron maser instability growth rate to be dominated alternately by the X mode and the O mode and the polarization state to switch from one sign to the other.