[1] The origin of whistler mode radiation in the plasmasphere is examined from 3 years of plasma wave observations from the Dynamics Explorer and the Imager for Magnetopauseto-Aurora Global Exploration spacecraft. These data are used to construct plasma wave intensity maps of whistler mode radiation in the plasmasphere. The highest average intensities of the radiation in the wave maps show source locations and/or sites of wave amplification. Each type of wave is classified on the basis of its magnetic latitude and longitude rather than any spectral feature. Equatorial electromagnetic (EM) emissions ($30-330 Hz), plasmaspheric hiss ($330 Hz to 3.3 kHz), chorus ($2-6 kHz), and VLF transmitters ($10-50 kHz) are the main types of waves that are clearly delineated in the plasma wave maps. Observations of the equatorial EM emissions show that the most intense region is on or near the magnetic equator in the afternoon sector and that during times of negative B z (interplanetary magnetic field) the maximum intensity moves from L values of 3 to <2. These observations are consistent with the origin of this emission being particle-wave interactions in or near the magnetic equator. Plasmaspheric hiss shows high intensity at high latitudes and low altitudes (L shells from 2 to 4) and in the magnetic equator with L values from 2 to 3 in the early afternoon sector. The longitudinal distribution of the hiss intensity (excluding the enhancement at the equator) is similar to the distribution of lightning: stronger over continents than over the ocean, stronger in the summer than in the winter, and stronger on the dayside than on the nightside. These observations strongly support lightning as the dominant source for plasmaspheric hiss, which, through particle-wave interactions, maintains the slot region in the radiation belts. The enhancement of hiss at the magnetic equator is consistent with particle-wave interactions. The chorus emissions are most intense on the morningside as previously reported. At frequencies from $10 to $50 kHz, VLF transmitters dominate the spectrum. The maximum intensity of the VLF transmitters is in the late evening or early morning with enhancements all along L shells from 1.8 to 3.
[1] Several year's worth of observations from the plasma wave instruments on both Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) and Polar spacecraft are used to study the seasonal and solar cycle variations in the spectrum of auroral kilometric radiation (AKR). Only AKR observations when the spacecraft were in the Northern Hemisphere emission cones were used. The results from the seasonal analysis show significant changes in the AKR spectrum as a function of dipole tilt. The average AKR spectral peak for positive dipole tilt is $150 kHz but is $300 kHz during times of negative dipole tilt. In addition, the average emission spectrum for positive tilt is up to two orders of magnitude weaker over the 200-500 kHz frequency range when compared with the average emission spectrum for negative tilt. Assuming the cyclotron maser mechanism for AKR, these results imply that the AKR source region (the auroral density cavity) moves to higher altitudes during the summer and to lower altitudes during the winter. Using data from the DE-1 plasma wave instrument, the magnetic local time of average AKR source region is also investigated with dipole tilt. From these observations it is found that for negative dipole tilt a broad AKR source region exists, ranging from $18 to $24 MLT, with peak emission coming from $20 MLT. In comparison, under positive dipole tilt the source region narrows ($20 to $24 MLT) with peak emission at $22 MLT. Taking into account the above seasonal effect, a comparison of the average spectra from IMAGE and Polar plasma wave data also demonstrates a solar cycle effect. The average AKR spectrum at solar maximum has the same structure with dipole tilt as at solar minimum but is typically lower (by as much as 1-2 orders of magnitude). The observations presented support the concept that the expected increases in ionospheric densities (with positive dipole tilt for the Northern Hemisphere and solar EUV flux increases during solar maximum) play a significant role in magnetospheric-ionospheric coupling by: (1) shortening the altitude range of the auroral plasma cavity, (2) confining the cavity to a smaller range of MLT and closer to midnight, and (3) decreasing the overall intensity of AKR by lessening the density depth of the auroral density cavity. The results of this study should be taken into account in future studies of using AKR as a substorm index and other statistical emission cone studies at both low and high frequencies.
The magnetospheric electron density Ne can often be obtained to within a few percent from passive radio‐wave dynamic spectra when the electron plasma frequency fpe (∝ Ne1/2) is greater than the electron cyclotron frequency fce. This conclusion is based on interleaved active and passive observations from the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the IMAGE satellite in the vicinity of the plasmapause. The Ne determinations are based on the frequency limits of an intense narrowband emission identified as the upper‐hybrid band. The lower limit is identified with fpe and the upper limit with the upper‐hybrid frequency fuh = (fpe2 + fce2)1/2. These frequency limits and the large amplitude of the emission, typically 20 dB or more above background, suggest strong Z‐mode waves, rather than quasi‐thermal fluctuations, as the emission source.
[1] Recent IMAGE Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUV) observations showed the first global images of plasmaspheric convection plumes, which have been interpreted as the plasmaspheric tails predicted theoretically 3 decades earlier. Using observations by the IMAGE Radio Plasma Imager (RPI), we show that these convection plumes have large latitudinal extent. These results complement those recently made by others in correlating IMAGE EUV data with measurements of total electron content in the ionosphere. By correlating in situ RPI density measurements with global plasmaspheric EUV images, we have shown that apparently detached plasma structures, as appear in RPI dynamic spectrograms, are in many cases plasmaspheric convection plumes. The temporal separation between the RPI and EUV observations help constrain the interpretation of one data set in the context of the other, thereby enabling an examination of the threedimensional plasma density structures outside the core plasmasphere. The data sets are mutually reinforcing because the data are collected within a few hours of one another. We used the EUV data to provide unambiguous identification of density enhancements in the region outside the plasmasphere and used the RPI data to obtain accurate number densities and extend information from the EUV data set by measuring densities below the EUV sensitivity threshold.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.