Bernstein mode excitation in an inhomogeneous plasma by the coupling of two electromagnetic waves near the upper-hybrid frequency

Abstract

The equation describing the excitation of a Bernstein wave near the upper-hybrid frequency by the coupling of two electromagnetic waves in an inhomogeneous plasma is derived. The basic assumptions are (i) the three waves propagate perpendicularly to the external magnetic field, and (ii) the Bernstein wave is electrostatic. The excited electric field may be expressed in terms of Airy functions. The power flowing in the upper-hybrid mode is calculated as a function of the coupling length, the inhomogeneity length, and the angle between the incident waves. Numerical results are given for the case of ionosphere.