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At least 55 records · Page 3

Two types of magnetospheric ELF chorus and their substorm dependences

The distribution of extremely low frequency (10-1500 Hz) magnetospheric chorus to all local times and latitudes is investigated in order to determine dependence on substorms, and to evaluate the conditions under which chorus is generated. The analysis carefully separates space and time effects by an investigation of data obtained by the OGO 5 search coil magnetometer. A study of spatial dependencies shows that chorus occurs in two magnetic regions: equatorial chorus is located near the equator, and high-latitude chorus is located above 15 degrees. An analysis of chorus in each of the regions illustrates that equatorial chorus is definitely related to substorm, whereas high-latitude chorus often occurs within magnetically quiet intervals.

Tsurutani, B. T.↗

Ray-tracing studies and path-integrated gains of ELF unducted whistler mode waves in the earth's magnetosphere

Gyroresonance and Landau resonance interactions between unducted low-frequency whistler waves and trapped electrons in the earth's plasmasphere have been studied. Ray paths for waves launched near the plasmapause have been traced. In agreement with recent findings by Thorne et al. (1979), waves have been found which return through the equatorial zone with field-aligned wave normal angles. However, when the growth along the ray path is calculated for such waves, assuming an electron distribution function of the form E exp -n sin exp m alpha, it is found that for all the waves considered, the local growth rate becomes negative before plasmapause reflection, limiting the total gain to small values. Most waves reach zero gain before reflection. This is the result of Landau damping at oblique propagation angles, which necessarily occurs before reflection can take place. It is concluded that the concept of cyclic ray paths does not provide an explanation for the generation of unguided plasmaspheric hiss.

Huang, C. Y.↗

Natural ELF noise evaluation for TSS emissions detection on the Earth's surface. The electric field component approach

The preliminary estimate of the local noise structure in the proximity of a receiver is essential to establishing the detectability of a given signal in presence of such noise. The possibility of detecting the Electric Field Component of the background noise by means of electric dipoles horizontally placed on the sea bed in shallow water is outlined, in order to find its spectral and statistical characteristics for the definition of the optimal receiving system.

Tacconi, G.↗

Theoretical investigation of EM wave generation and radiation in the ULF, ELF and VLF bands by the electrodynamic orbiting tether

The goal is to extend the previous analysis of electromagnetic wave generation by an electrodynamic tethered satellite system to a more realistic model that includes the effects on wave propagation and reflection to the boundaries between ionosphere, atmosphere, and earth. One of the major activities was searching the scientific literature for publications that might be relevant to the problem. The software developed as SAO to follow the path of waves along field lines through the ionosphere to the atmosphere starting from an arbitary position in the atmosphere is described. Some preliminary results are presented from applying the code to the location of wave reception hot spots on the earth's surface for satellites operating at 300 and 600 km altitudes. A generalization of the Alfven wing analysis is presented to allow for arbitrary angles between the velocity vector, geomagnetic field, and the veritcal. This will be utilized in the modeling of the problem with boundaries included.

Estes, Robert D.↗

Theoretical investigation of EM wave generation and radiation in the ULF, ELF, and VLF bands by the electrodynamic orbiting tether

The problem of electromagnetic wave generation by an electrodynamic tethered satellite system is important both for the ordinary operation of such systems and for their possible application as orbiting transmitters. The tether's ionospheric circuit closure problem is closely linked with the propagation of charge-carrying electromagnetic wave packets away from the tethered system. Work is reported which represents a step towards a solution to the problem that takes into account the effects of boundaries and of vertical variations in plasma density, collision frequencies, and ion species. The theory of Alfen wave packet generation by an electrodynamic tethered system in an infinite plasma medium is reviewed, and brief summary of previous work on the problem is given. The consequences of the presence of the boundaries and the vertical nonuniformity are then examined. One of the most significant new features to emerge when ion-neutral collisions are taken into account is the coupling of the Alfven waves to the fast magnetosonic wave. This latter wave is important, as it may be confined by vertical variations in the Alfven speed to a sort of leaky ionospheric wave guide, the resonances of which could be of great importance to the signal received on the Earth's surface. The infinite medium solution for this case where the (uniform) geomagnetic field makes an arbitrary angle with the vertical is taken as the incident wave-packet. Even without a full solution, a number of conclusions can be drawn, the most important of which may be that the electromagnetic field associated with the operation of a steady-current tethered system will probably be too weak to detect on the Earth's surface, even for large tethered currents. This is due to the total reflection of the incident wave at the atmospheric boundary and the inability of a steady-current tethered system to excite the ionospheric wave-guide. An outline of the approach to the numerical problem is given. The use of numerical integrations and boundary conditions consistent with a conducting Earth is proposed to obtain the solution for the horizontal electromagnetic field components at the boundary of the ionosphere with the atmospheric cavity.

Estes, Robert D.↗

Microspacecraft and Earth observation: Electrical field (ELF) measurement project

The Utah State University space system design project for 1989 to 1990 focuses on the design of a global electrical field sensing system to be deployed in a constellation of microspacecraft. The design includes the selection of the sensor and the design of the spacecraft, the sensor support subsystems, the launch vehicle interface structure, on board data storage and communications subsystems, and associated ground receiving stations. Optimization of satellite orbits and spacecraft attitude are critical to the overall mapping of the electrical field and, thus, are also included in the project. The spacecraft design incorporates a deployable sensor array (5 m booms) into a spinning oblate platform. Data is taken every 0.1 seconds by the electrical field sensors and stored on-board. An omni-directional antenna communicates with a ground station twice per day to down link the stored data. Wrap-around solar cells cover the exterior of the spacecraft to generate power. Nine Pegasus launches may be used to deploy fifty such satellites to orbits with inclinations greater than 45 deg. Piggyback deployment from other launch vehicles such as the DELTA 2 is also examined.

Olsen, Tanya↗

Processing LiDAR Data to Predict Natural Hazards

ELF-Base and ELF-Hazards (wherein 'ELF' signifies 'Extract LiDAR Features' and 'LiDAR' signifies 'light detection and ranging') are developmental software modules for processing remote-sensing LiDAR data to identify past natural hazards (principally, landslides) and predict future ones. ELF-Base processes raw LiDAR data, including LiDAR intensity data that are often ignored in other software, to create digital terrain models (DTMs) and digital feature models (DFMs) with sub-meter accuracy. ELF-Hazards fuses raw LiDAR data, data from multispectral and hyperspectral optical images, and DTMs and DFMs generated by ELF-Base to generate hazard risk maps. Advanced algorithms in these software modules include line-enhancement and edge-detection algorithms, surface-characterization algorithms, and algorithms that implement innovative data-fusion techniques. The line-extraction and edge-detection algorithms enable users to locate such features as faults and landslide headwall scarps. Also implemented in this software are improved methodologies for identification and mapping of past landslide events by use of (1) accurate, ELF-derived surface characterizations and (2) three LiDAR/optical-data-fusion techniques: post-classification data fusion, maximum-likelihood estimation modeling, and hierarchical within-class discrimination. This software is expected to enable faster, more accurate forecasting of natural hazards than has previously been possible.

Fairweather, Ian↗

Comment on "An Analysis of VLF Electric Field Spectra Measured in Titan's Atmosphere by The Huygens Probe" By J. A. Morente et al.

Morente et al. have recently revisited the VLF electric field measurements made with the Permittivity, Wave and Altimetry (PWA) instrument during the descent of the Huygens Probe through the atmosphere of Titan. They assert that they have identified several harmonics of the transverse resonance mode of the surface?]ionosphere cavity, which would prove the existence of an electrical activity in the atmosphere of the largest satellite of Saturn. We refute this finding on the basis that it results from an artifact due to an improper analysis of the data set. [2] The investigators of the Permittivity, Wave and Altimetry (PWA) experiment on the Huygens Probe have reported the extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) electric signals recorded during the descent through the atmosphere of Titan. The PWA data are archived in the Planetary Science Archive (PSA) of ESA, and an extensive description of the instrument is at the disposal of the scientific community. Morente and his coworkers have revisited this data set and reported the results of their investigations in two papers. In a first paper, they claim that they have detected in the ELF range (0.100 Hz) several harmonics of a global resonance allegedly generated by lightning activity in the spherical cavity guide formed by the surface of Titan and the inner boundary of the ionosphere, a phenomenon similar to the Schumann resonance observed at EartH In the second paper dedicated to the VLF electric signal recorded by PWA, in the range 0.10 kHz, they argue that they can also bring out the transverse resonance and its harmonics, a more local phenomenon that develops around the excitation source and whose frequency is controlled by the separation between Titan?fs surface and the inner ionospheric boundary. [3] The PWA investigators have analyzed the narrowband ELF signal at about 36 Hz effectively observed during the entire descent. They have not endorsed, however, the alternative approach of Morente et al. that discloses additional ELF narrow-band signals and numerous related harmonics. Hamelin et al. and Beghin et al. have questioned the work of Morente and his coworkers and demonstrated unambiguously that their findings are mere artifacts entirely due to a faulty procedure. Morente et al. refuted this critical analysis of their ELF paper in a rebuttal. The present comment draws a parallelism between the ELF and VLF papers and demonstrates that the VLF signal carries no evidence whatever of any transverse resonance. The analyses of the ELF and VLF signals by Morente and his coworkers are flawed, and their conclusions are shown here to be invalid. A more comprehensive and thorough assessment of the numerical approaches proposed by Morente et al. is given by Berthelin et al..

Grard, Rejean↗

High-Frequency Electrostatic Wave Generation and Transverse Ion Acceleration by Low Alfvenic Wave Components of BBELF Turbulence

Satellite observations in the auroral plasma have revealed that extremely low frequency (ELF) waves play a dominant role in the acceleration of electrons and ions in the auroral plasma. The electromagnetic components of the ELF (EMELF) waves are the electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves below the cyclotron frequency of the lightest ion species in a multi-ion plasma. Shear Alfv6n waves (SAWS) constitute the lowest frequency components of the ELF waves below the ion cyclotron frequency of the heaviest ion. The -2 mechanism for the transfer of energy from such EMELF waves to ions affecting transverse ion heating still remains a matter of debate. A very ubiquitous fe8ture of ELF waves now observed in several rocket and satellite experiments is that they occur in conjunction with high-frequency electrostatic waves. The frequency spectrum of the composite wave turbulence extends from the low frequency of the Alfvenic waves to the high frequency of proton plasma frequency and/or the lower hybrid frequency. The spectrum does not show any feature organized by the ion cyclotron frequencies and their harmonics. Such broadband waves consisting of both the EM and ES waves are now popularly referred as BBELF waves. We present results here from 2.5-D particle-in-cell simulations showing that the ES components are directly generated by cross- field plasma instabilities driven by the drifts of the ions and electrons in the EM component of the BBELF waves.

Singh, Nagendra↗