Magnetospheric plasma wave research 1975–1978

Abstract

In this review the term “plasma wave” is used to denote all waves which are generated in the magnetospheric plasma or which have their wave characteristics significantly modified on propagation through the magnetosphere. These plasma waves are both electromagnetic and electrostatic and are generally generated by the conversion of free energy within the plasma into wave energy through a variety of plasma‐wave processes. Plasma waves may in turn interact with plasma particles locally or at remote locations in the magnetosphere to modify the particle populations leading to such phenomena as particle precipitation.Plasma wave research has led to the identification of numerous plasma wave phenomena within the terrestrial magnetosphere. Many of these plasma wave types are associated with the different regions of the magnetosphere as depicted in Figure 1. A listing of the location of these plasma wave types along with the observed frequency range and a description of the wave properties is given in Table 1. Within the magnetosphere, detected plasma waves range in frequency from millihertz—well below the ion gyrofrequency at the bow shock—to 10 megahertz—approximately the electron plasma frequency in the ionosphere. Within the Jovian magnetosphere plasma wave phenomena extend up to 40 MHz which is the maximum electron gyrofrequency in the Jovian ionosphere.