Ray tracing planetary radio emissions

Abstract

Planetary ray tracing calculations of free escaping electromagnetic waves are presented, with special attention given to calculations of the earth's auroral kilometric and continuum radiations and of the Jovian decametric and kilometric radiation. The technique is used to study the composition and propagation effects causing multiion resonances and shadow zones. Although results obtained for Jovian broadband kilometric radiation have been used to estimate the location of the source region, no unique solutions are obtained.