Lower hybrid resonance noise and a new ionospheric duct.
Lower hybrid resonance in VLF range in satellites, noting noise emission due to trapping of electromagnetic wave propagation in transverse magnetic field
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Lower hybrid resonance in VLF range in satellites, noting noise emission due to trapping of electromagnetic wave propagation in transverse magnetic field
The paper presents a theoretical study of the problem of the wave fields excited by a gap source at the edge of an inhomogeneous magnetized plasma with a pair of lower-hybrid resonance layers present and bounded by conducting walls. The approach used is that of a solution as a sum of multiply reflected extraordinary mode and ion-thermal resonance cones as an alternative to the guided-wave mode approach. A diagrammatic scheme for writing the solution is given which can be used to determine in great detail the structure and properties of the resonance cones and the way they transform across the back-to-back hybrid layers. Evanescent resonance cones are shown to exist in the high-density region between the hybrid resonance layers and to tunnel through to the other side, maintaining this general structure if the layer is relatively thin.
A noise band at the lower hybrid resonance (LHR) is often detected by the VLF and ELF receivers on Ogo 3, using the electric antenna. In some cases the noise band is at the geometric mean gyrofrequency as measured by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) magnetometer, and local LHR in a dense H(+) plasma is indicated; in such cases, electron concentration can be calculated, if it is assumed that heavy ions are negligible. Observations at midlatitudes and altitudes of a few earth radii show local concentrations as low as 1.4 electrons/cu cm. In one case the concentrations obtained from the LHR noise band agree with those measured simultaneously by the GSFC ion mass spectrometer within a factor of 2. In another case the concentration is observed to fall by a factor of 2 in 150 km and then to decrease roughly as R to the minus fourth power, in agreement with whistler measurements outside the plasmapause.
Plasma oscillation resonance phenomena of ionospheric antenna excitation near lower hybrid resonant frequency
Continuous and triggered audio frequency noise bands associated with ionospheric lower hybrid resonance frequency observed on OGO 2
VLF noise phenomena observed with satellite electric dipole antennas compared with lower hybrid resonance frequency of ionospheric medium in vicinity
The particle acceleration processes here studied are driven by the relaxation of unstable ion ring distributions; these produce strong wave activity at the lower hybrid resonance frequency which collapses, and forms energetic electron and ion tails. The results obtained are applied to the problem posed by the production of energetic particles by solar flares. The numerical simulation results thus obtained by a 2 1/2-dimensional particle-in-cell code show a simultaneous acceleration of electrons to 10-500 keV energies, and of ions to as much as the 1 MeV range; the energy of the latter is still insufficient to account for gamma-ray emission in the 4-6 MeV range, but furnish a seed population for further acceleration.
Unusual noise band observed in VLF recordings of Alouette, investigating resonance in plasma surrounding satellite
Lower hybrid solitary structures (LHSS) have been observed by sounding rockets in the auroral ionosphere for over a decade and a half. LHSS are spatial structures embedded in space plasmas containing ambient whistler mode hiss. They are characterized by a density depletion of a few percent to several tens of percent in which electric fields near, both above and below, the lower hybrid resonance are more intense than the background fields by a factor of three to five. LHSS have dimensions across the magnetic field of a few to many thermal ion gyroradii, usually 10-100 meters and a density profile that is Gaussian and consistent with cylindrical symmetry. Along the magnetic field the dimensions are estimated to be several kilometers to several hundred kilometers. Electric field interferometry reveals that the phase fronts of LHSS electric fields rotate azimuthally within the density depletions; right-hand above the lower hybrid resonance and left-hand below the lower hybrid resonance [Pincon et al., 1997; Schuck et al., 1998; Bonnell et al., 1998; Tjulin et al., 2003; Schuck et al., 2003]. The description of this phenomena was driven by the observations the Cornell University sounding rocket program headed by the late Paul Kintner.
The resonance lower-hybrid wave-ion interaction is described by a group (differentiable map) of transformations of phase space of the system. All solutions to the map belong to a strange attractor, and chaotic motion of the attractor manifests itself in a number of macroscopic effects, such as the energy spectrum and particle heating. The applicability of the model to the problem of ion heating by waves at the front of collisionless shock as well as ion acceleration by a spectrum of waves is discussed. Keywords: plasma; ion-cyclotron heating; shocks; beat-wave accelerator.
Experiments have demonstrated that ion phenomena, such as the lower hybrid resonance, play an important role in helicon source operation. Damping of the slow branch of the bounded whistler wave at the edge of a helicon source (i.e. the Trivelpiece-Gould mode) has been correlated with the creation of energetic electrons, heating of ions at the plasma edge, and anisotropic ion heating. Here we present ion velocity distribution function measurements, electron density and temperature measurements, and magnetic fluctuation measurements on both sides of an m = |1| helical antenna in a helicon source as a function of the driving frequency, magnetic field strength, and magnetic field orientation relative to the antenna helicity. Significant electron and ion heating (up to two times larger) occurs on the side of the antenna consistent with the launch of the m = +1 mode. The electron and ion heating occurs within one electron skin depth of the plasma edge, where slow wave damping is expected. The source parameters for enhanced particle heating are also consistent with lower hybrid resonance effects, which can only occur for Trivelpiece-Gould wave excitation.
A fluid description of lower hybrid, whistler and magnetosonic waves is applied to study wave phenomena near the lower hybrid resonance associated with plasma density depletions. The goal is to understand the nature of lower hybrid cavitons and spikelets often associated with transverse ion acceleration events in the auroral ionosphere. Three-dimensional simulations show the ponderomotive force leads to the formation of a density cavity (caviton) in which lower hybrid wave energy is concentrated (spikelet) resulting in a three-dimensional collapse of the configuration. Plasma density depletions of the order of a few percent are shown to greatly modify the homogeneous linear properties of lower hybrid waves and account for many of the observed features of lower hybrid spikelets.
Observations of preferential heating of the ionospheric majority ion species O(+), are reported. The heating took the form of a hot (few electron volts) tail in the upgoing thermal O(+). No such hot tail was observed in the light ion distributions. An event observed at 700-800 km altitude was highly anisotropic with a much hotter tail transverse to the local magnetic field. A series of events observed at 250-375 km were more nearly isotropic with respect to the local magnetic field. Broadband plasma wave emission near the lower hybrid resonance was observed in conjunction with the high altitude event. The low altitude events were tightly correlated with auroral electron precipitation, but broadband lower hybrid emission was much reduced. The observed hot tail formation is sufficient to produce significant O(+) ion transport to higher altitude auroral acceleration regions.
An account is given of the waves and instabilities occurring at collisionless shocks, with attention to the mechanisms responsible for the generation of these waves. The transition region of the shock usually involves an abrupt broadband burst of electrostatic noise that extends from below the lower hybrid resonance to near the electron plasma frequency, and by a broadband burst of whistler mode EM noise below the electron cyclotron frequency. Electrostatic lower hybrid waves are also noted. Upstream of the shock, electron plasma oscillations, ion acoustic waves, and intense ULF MHD waves are often observed. The region downstream of the shock is usually very chaotic; electrostatic waves often extend long distances into the downstream region, together with whistler mode emissions.
Voyager 2 observations of electrostatic electron and ion cyclotron waves detected in Neptune's magnetosphere are presented. Both types of emission appear in a frequency band above the electron and ion (proton) cyclotron frequencies, respectively, and are tightly confined to the magnetic equator occurring within a few degrees of it. The electron cyclotron modes including an intense upper hybrid resonance emission excited by an unstable loss cone distribution of low-density superthermal electrons. The ion cyclotron waves are interpreted as hydrogen Bernstein modes including an intense lower hybrid resonance emission excited by an unstable ring distribution of low-density pickup N(+) ions deriving from the satellite Triton.
Waves generated near the lower hybrid resonance frequency by the modified two stream instability have been invoked as a possible source of energy flux into the topside ionosphere of Venus. These waves are observed above the ionopause in a region known as the plasma mantle. The plasma within the mantle appears to be a mixture of magnetosheath and ionospheric plasmas. Since the magnetosheath electrons and ions have temperatures of several tens of eV, any instability analysis of the modified two stream instability requires the inclusion of finite electron and ion temperatures. Finite temperature effects are likely to reduce the growth rate of the instability. Furthermore, the lower hybrid waves are only quasi-electrostatic, and the energy flux of the waves is mainly carried by parallel Poynting flux. The magnetic field in the mantle is draped over the ionopause. Lower hybrid waves therefore cannot transport any significant wave energy to lower altitudes, and so do not act as a source of additional heat to the topside ionosphere.
ITER will be equipped with three plasma heating systems: neutral beam (NB), electron cyclotron (EC), and ion cy-clotron resonance heating (ICRH). The latter consists of two identical ICRH antennas to deliver 20 MW to the plasma (baseline, upgradable to 40 MW). ICRH will play a crucial role in the ignition and sustainment of burning plasmas in ITER. A high fidelity and robust modeling effort to understand the interaction of the IC waves with the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma is a very important aspect. Among the main important research topics, we have the assessment of the antenna loading for different plasma scenarios, the role of the lower hybrid resonance in front of the antenna and how to include it in our models, and the RF sheath boundary conditions to evaluate the antenna impurity generation. In this work, we tackle the first of these by reporting on ICRF simulations employing the Petra-M code, which is an electromagnetic simulation tool for modeling RF wave propagation based on MFEM [http://mfem.org] for the ITER ICRH antenna. Moreover, a benchmark between the well tested antenna codes TOPICA, RAPLI-CASOL, which is based on COMSOL [www.comsol.com], and the Petra-M code is also presented. In conclusion, S- and Z-matrices and wave electric field are compared showing an excellent agreement among these codes.
Radio frequency wave propagation can be significantly affected by density irregularities, such as filaments in the scrape-off layer or instabilities in the core plasma. In this study, we examine the impact of edge turbulence on helicon wave propagation using the Petra-M simulation tool. To analyze the effect of edge turbulence, we utilize a realistic background plasma derived from XGC simulations, which includes spatial density fluctuations at the edge. This focus is particularly relevant for the DIII-D configuration, characterized by edge density turbulence of the core plasmas in a wide pedestal QH-mode. We focus on helicon wave propagation in the core plasma since the slow mode cannot propagate into the core plasma when the density is higher than the lower hybrid resonance, where a wide pedestal QH-mode occurs. The simulation results indicate that edge density fluctuations have a substantial impact on helicon wave coupling due to scattering in the core. We specifically demonstrate that the toroidal mode number and the level of density fluctuations are significant factors influencing scattering. While we have minimized the excitation of slow modes from the antenna, we still observe mode-converted slow modes resulting from the incoming helicon waves. The insights derived from these simulations will inform upcoming tokamak experiments regarding helicon antenna coupling in long pulse scenarios.