Generation of broadband electrostatic noise by electron acoustic solitons

Abstract

Broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) bursts whose amplitude sometimes reaches about 100 m V m−1 have been observed by the Viking satellite in the dayside auroral zone. These emissions have been shown to be greatly influenced by nonlinear effects and to occur simultaneously with the observation of particle distributions favouring the destabilization of the electron acoustic mode. It is shown that electron acoustic solitons passing by the satellite would generate spectra that can explain the high‐frequency part of BEN, above the electron plasma frequency.