Observations of a free‐energy source for intense electrostatic waves

Abstract

Significant progress has been made in understanding intense electrostatic waves near the upper hybrid resonance frequency in terms of the theory of multiharmonic cyclotron emissions using a classical loss‐cone distribution function as a model. Recent observations by Hawkeye 1 and GEOS 1 have verified the existence of loss‐cone distributions in association with the intense electrostatic wave events, however, other observations by Hawkeye and ISEE have indicated that loss cones are not always observable during the wave events, and in fact other forms of free energy may also be responsible for the instability. Now, for the first time, a positively sloped feature in the perpendicular distribution function has been uniquely identified with intense electrostatic wave activity. Correspondingly, we suggest that the theory is flexible under substantial modifications of the model distribution function.