Lower Hybrid Waves upon Interaction of Meteor Wakes with the Earth’s Ionosphere

Abstract

The possibility of generation of lower hybrid waves in meteoroid wakes upon their interaction with the Earth’s ionosphere is analyzed. The lower hybrid waves are driven as a result of development of the Buneman-type instability due to motion of meteoroid-wake plasma relative to the Earth’s magnetic field. Magneto-modulational processes that are induced by existence of the lower hybrid waves in plasma and leading to generation of quasi-stationary perturbations of magnetic field are discussed. It is demonstrated that these perturbations are of the same order of magnitude as magnetic fields induced by meteoroids passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.