Electron cyclotron waves: dispersion and accessibility conditions in isotropic and anisotropic plasmas

Abstract

Dispersion and accessibility conditions for electron cyclotron waves are investigated for arbitrary weakly relativistic plasmas and for specific isotropic and loss-cone distributions. The transition between the cold plasma and vacuum dispersion relations is investigated as a function of temperature and density. The behaviour of mode structure (including mode coupling), cut-offs and resonances are also examined. Generalizations are obtained of earlier results which indicate that access by extraordinary waves to regions nearthe cyclotron layer from the low-field side is easier in weakly relativistic plasmas than predicted by cold plasma theory because of a reduction in the cut-off frequency of the fast extraordinary mode. This effect is found to be more pronounced in loss-cone distributions than in isotropic distributions, permitting access at temperatures considerably lower than those predicted in the isotropic case. Extra loss-cone modes are found to appear near the cyclotron frequency in loss-cone plasmas which also exhibit instabilities near the cyclotron harmonics.