Abstract
[1] The generation mechanism and properties of auroral waves near, above, and below the electron plasma frequency ωpe are investigated. Calculations of wave dispersion in a warm, magnetized plasma show that these waves propagate in a single mode, the generalized Langmuir-z mode or generalized Langmuir-whistler mode of magnetized kinetic plasma theory, depending on whether ωpe exceeds or is less than the electron gyrofrequency Ωe, respectively. The characteristics of the modes change as the waves propagate through density gradients and move to lower or higher wave numbers. This corrects previous assertions that these waves undergo a conversion between distinct Langmuir and whistler or Langmuir and z modes. Using ray-tracing techniques, it is predicted that the waves both below ωpe and above ωpe should remain predominantly electrostatic, in contrast to previous interpretations of these waves becoming electromagnetic.
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