Generation Of Auroral Kilometric Radiation Research Articles

Properties of AKR‐Like Emissions Recorded by the Low Altitude Satellite DEMETER During 6.5 Years

AbstractNormally, auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) which is emitted in the auroral zones escapes from the Earth. But since a few decades very similar radiations are observed by ground‐based receivers and by satellites at altitudes below the AKR generation area. They are called leaked AKR or AKR‐like emissions because it is expected that there are linked to AKR. This paper deals with observations of such AKR‐like emissions observed in the auroral zones (in the North and in the South) by the low‐altitude satellite DEMETER. In total, 2,526 events have been recorded during 6.5 years. These events are not very rare as they occur at least 2% of the time. Although this data set has a severe flaw due to a latitudinal constraint, it was possible to draw interesting properties of these emissions. In fact they are very similar to usual AKR observed at much higher altitudes during auroral activities (the same frequency range, magnetic local time (MLT) sector, and invariant latitude). The main difference concerns a strong asymmetry between the Northern and the Southern hemispheres: (a) the number of AKR‐like emissions in the Northern hemisphere is 32% larger than in the Southern hemisphere but this percentage decreases when the auroral activity increases, and (b) there is an important seasonal effect because the number of events decreases during the winter season both in the North and in the South.

Auroral Kilometric Radiation as a Diagnostic Tool for the Properties of the Magnetosphere

Auroral kilometric radiation is used as a tool for the remote diagnostics of processes in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Using satellite data and the spectrum of fluctuations of auroral kilometric radiation at various frequencies, the fractal properties of the auroral region of the magnetosphere depending on the altitude of a source and the frequency of generated radiation are studied. The fractal characteristics (Hurst exponent and fractal dimension) of the medium in the region of generation of auroral kilometric radiation and their dynamics depending on the altitude and frequency are determined from the scaling law. It is shown that the scaling and Hurst exponent increase with the altitude (or with a decrease in the signal frequency), whereas the fractal dimension decreases with an increase in the altitude. The scaling and fractal parameters obtained in this work indicate that the processes under consideration exhibit long-range dependence.

Effect of Long-Wavelength Magnetic Field Disturbances on the Generation of Auroral Kilometric Radiation

The effect of long-wavelength magnetic field disturbances typical of the Earth’s auroral region on the generation of auroral kilometric radiation in a narrow three-dimensional plasma cavity in which a weakly relativistic electron flow propagates against the background of cold low-density plasma is analyzed. The dynamics of the propagation and amplification of fluctuation waves with initial group velocities directed toward the higher magnetic field is considered in the geometrical optics approximation. Analysis of wave trajectories shows that the wave amplification coefficients depend on the magnetic field gradient in the reflection region. If the wave reflection point lies in the region where the gradient of the disturbed magnetic field is less than that of the undisturbed dipole field, then the wave amplification coefficients exceed those of waves propagating in the undisturbed field, and vice versa. Thus, the shape of the spectrum of generated waves changes in the presence of long-wavelength disturbances of the dipole magnetic field in such a way that segments with different curvatures can form in the spectrum.

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation by a finite-size source in a dipole magnetic field. Part II

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation by a finite-size source in a dipole magnetic field. Part II

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation in inhomogeneous magnetospheric plasma

The generation of auroral kilometric radiation in a narrow 3D plasma cavity, in which a weakly relativistic electron flow is propagated along the magnetic field against a low-density cold background plasma, is studied. The time dynamics of the propagation and intensification of waves are analyzed using geometric optics equations. The waves have different wave vector components and start from the cavity center at an altitude of about the Earth’s radius at plasma parameters typical for the auroral zone at this altitude. It is shown that the global inhomogeneity of the Earth’s magnetic field is of key importance in shaping the auroral kilometric radiation spectra.

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation by a finite-size source in a dipole magnetic field

Generation, amplification, and propagation of auroral kilometric radiation in a narrow three-dimensional plasma cavity in which a weakly relativistic electron beam propagates is studied in the geometrical optics approximation. It is shown that the waves that start with a group velocity directed earthward and have optimal relation between the wave vector components determining the linear growth rate and the wave residence time inside the amplification region undergo the largest amplification. Taking into account the longitudinal velocity of fast electrons results in the shift of the instability domain toward wave vectors directed to the Earth and leads to a change in the dispersion relation, due to which favorable conditions are created for the generation of waves with frequencies above the cutoff frequency for the cold background plasma at the wave generation altitude. The amplification factor for these waves is lower than for waves that have the same wave vectors but are excited by the electron beams with lower velocities along the magnetic field. For waves excited at frequencies below the cutoff frequency of the background plasma at the generation altitude, the amplification factor increases with increasing longitudinal electron velocity, because these waves reside for a longer time in the amplification region.

Numerical simulation of unconstrained cyclotron resonant maser emission

When a mainly rectilinear electron beam is subject to significant magnetic compression, conservation of magnetic moment results in the formation of a horseshoe shaped velocity distribution. It has been shown that such a distribution is unstable to cyclotron emission and may be responsible for the generation of Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) -an intense rf emission sourced at high altitudes in the terrestrial auroral magnetosphere. PiC code simulations have been undertaken to investigate the dynamics of the cyclotron emission process in the absence of cavity boundaries with particular consideration of the spatial growth rate, spectral output and rf conversion efficiency. Computations reveal that a well-defined cyclotron emission process occurs albeit with a low spatial growth rate compared to waveguide bounded simulations. The rf output is near perpendicular to the electron beam with a slight backward-wave character reflected in the spectral output with a well defined peak at 2.68GHz, just below the relativistic electron cyclotron frequency. The corresponding rf conversion efficiency of 1.1% is comparable to waveguide bounded simulations and consistent with the predictions of kinetic theory that suggest efficient, spectrally well defined radiation emission can be obtained from an electron horseshoe distribution in the absence of radiation boundaries.

Publisher's Note: “Numerical investigation of auroral cyclotron maser processes” [Phys. Plasmas 17, 056501 (2010)

When a mainly rectilinear electron beam is subject to significant magnetic compression, conservation of magnetic moment results in the formation of a horseshoe shaped velocity distribution. It has been shown that such a distribution is unstable to cyclotron emission and may be responsible for the generation of auroral kilometric radiation—an intense rf emission sourced at high altitudes in the terrestrial auroral magnetosphere. Particle-in-cell code simulations have been undertaken to investigate the dynamics of the cyclotron emission process in the absence of cavity boundaries with particular consideration of the spatial growth rate, spectral output and rf conversion efficiency. Computations reveal that a well-defined cyclotron emission process occurs albeit with a low spatial growth rate compared with waveguide bounded simulations. The rf output is near perpendicular to the electron beam with a slight backward-wave character reflected in the spectral output with a well defined peak at 2.68 GHz, just below the relativistic electron cyclotron frequency. The corresponding rf conversion efficiency of 1.1% is comparable to waveguide bounded simulations and consistent with the predictions of kinetic theory that suggest efficient, spectrally well defined emission can be obtained from an electron horseshoe distribution in the absence of radiation boundaries. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Numerical investigation of auroral cyclotron maser processes

When a mainly rectilinear electron beam is subject to significant magnetic compression, conservation of magnetic moment results in the formation of a horseshoe shaped velocity distribution. It has been shown that such a distribution is unstable to cyclotron emission and may be responsible for the generation of auroral kilometric radiation—an intense rf emission sourced at high altitudes in the terrestrial auroral magnetosphere. Particle-in-cell code simulations have been undertaken to investigate the dynamics of the cyclotron emission process in the absence of cavity boundaries with particular consideration of the spatial growth rate, spectral output and rf conversion efficiency. Computations reveal that a well-defined cyclotron emission process occurs albeit with a low spatial growth rate compared with waveguide bounded simulations. The rf output is near perpendicular to the electron beam with a slight backward-wave character reflected in the spectral output with a well defined peak at 2.68 GHz, just below the relativistic electron cyclotron frequency. The corresponding rf conversion efficiency of 1.1% is comparable to waveguide bounded simulations and consistent with the predictions of kinetic theory that suggest efficient, spectrally well defined emission can be obtained from an electron horseshoe distribution in the absence of radiation boundaries.

Numerical simulation of auroral cyclotron maser processes

Results are presented from a numerical investigation of radiation emission from an electron beam with a horseshoe-shaped velocity distribution. This process is relevant to the phenomenon of auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) which occurs in the polar regions of the Earth's magnetosphere. In these regions of the auroral zone, particles accelerated into the increasing magnetic field of the Earth's dipole develop a horseshoe-shaped velocity distribution through conservation of magnetic moment. It has been shown theoretically that this distribution is unstable to a cyclotron maser instability. A 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) code model was constructed to simulate a scaled laboratory experiment in which an electron beam subject to significant magnetic compression may be studied and brought into resonance with TE modes of an interaction waveguide. Results were obtained for electron beam energies of 75–85 keV, magnetic compression factors of up to 30 and electron cyclotron frequencies of 4.42 and 11.7 GHz. At 11.7 GHz, beam–wave coupling was observed with the TE03 mode and an RF output power of 20 kW was obtained corresponding to an RF conversion efficiency of 1.3%. At 4.42 GHz, excitation of the TE01 mode was observed with an RF output power of 35 kW for a cyclotron-wave detuning of 2%. This corresponds to an RF conversion efficiency of 2.6%. In both cases PiC particle velocity distributions show the clear formation of a horseshoe-shaped velocity distribution and subsequent action of a cyclotron maser instability. The RF conversion efficiencies obtained are also comparable with estimates for the AKR generation efficiency.

Waveguide regime of cyclotron maser instability in plasma regions of depressed density

The generation of auroral kilometric radiation from the Earth is studied in a waveguide model that describes the development of cyclotron maser instability in plasma regions of depressed density that have a finite length in one of the directions perpendicular to the magnetic field. A general dispersion relation for waves propagating in an arbitrary direction is derived. Numerical solutions to the dispersion relation show that the instability growth rate increases with wave vector component directed along a tangent to the source boundary in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. Waveguide eigenmodes are constructed, and it is shown that, in the general case, the electromagnetic field in the source has an asymmetric structure, the ratio of the electric field components in the source depends on the coordinates, and the electric field component transverse to the source boundary can substantially exceed the component parallel to the boundary. The results obtained are discussed from the standpoint of comparing them with satellite observational data.

Spectral variations and long-period intensity variations of auroral kilometric radiation from INTERBALL-2 satellite measurements

A statistical analysis of the auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) measurements in the POLRAD experiment on the INTERBALL-2 satellite has revealed a dependences of the size and location of the AKR generation region on geomagnetic activity: the generation region rises upward and expands with increasing magnetic disturbances. Based on our two-year measurements, we found seasonal AKR intensity variations: the AKR maximum and minimum are observed in winter and summer, respectively. The seasonal variations and the dependence of the spectrum on geomagnetic activity are assumed to have a common physical nature—the background-plasma density variations in the region of the AKR source attributable to plasma flows from the ionosphere into the magnetosphere.

Generation of auroral kilometric radiation by electron horseshoe distributions

High time resolution of rocket and satellite electron distribution functions within the source region of auroral kilometric radiation display a characteristic crescent shaped or horseshoe distribution. Such distribution functions are created by a field aligned electron beam moving into an increasing magnetic field, conservation of the first adiabatic invariant causes an increase of their pitch angle. This produces a broad region on the distribution function where ∂fe/∂v⊥>0, and is a possible source of free energy leading to radio wave emission by the cyclotron maser instability, which is more efficient than the conventional loss-cone maser instability. The stability of these electron horseshoe distribution functions is examined for right-hand extraordinary mode (R–X mode) radiation close to the electron cyclotron frequency propagating perpendicular to the magnetic field.

D0.0014 FAST observations of the auroral density cavity: Consequences for the generation of auroral kilometric radiation

D0.0014 FAST observations of the auroral density cavity: Consequences for the generation of auroral kilometric radiation

Observations of the upper frequency cutoffs of the auroral kilometric radiation

Abstract. Intense auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is being frequently observed with POLRAD from the Auroral Probe (Interball-2). Observations of the abrupt upper frequency cutoffs (UFCs) in the spectra of AKR are reported. The UFCs can be observed at a frequency range from 300 to 700 kHz, corresponding to AKR generation altitudes from approximately 4800 to 2100 km, and are distributed in magnetic local time (MLT) hours similarly to the AKR events, with a maximum at 1 h MLT. The observed frequency extent of the UFCs is ≤12 kHz, and is often determined by the instrumental resolution (4 kHz). It is suggested that the UFC may be associated with an abrupt switching on of the generation mechanism, when the electron density becomes sufficiently low inside a plasma depletion at an altitude where the ratio of fpe/fce crosses some threshold value. The steepness of the UFCs can imply a non-linear process of generation. The estimated distance of the e-folding field aligned wave amplification is between 3 and 8 km. The UFCs are sometimes, though very seldom (<10%), accompanied by narrow band (less than 4 kHz) "ridges" of radiation observed at the cutoff frequency. They are smoothly drifting in frequncy for several minutes. The power density of radiation in the "ridge" can be up to 2 orders of magnitude stronger than in the accompanying wide band emission of AKR. The "ridge" at UFC can imply either energy concentration at the source bottom, or focusing, if specific conditions for the escape of the radiation are assumed.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; plasma waves and instabilities) · Radio science (magnetospheric physics)

FAST observations of VLF waves in the auroral zone: Evidence of very low plasma densities

The Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) explorer frequently observes the auroral density cavity, which is the source region for Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR). An important factor in the generation of AKR is the relative abundance of hot and cold electrons within the cavity, since hot electrons introduce relativistic modifications to the wave dispersion. VLF wave‐form data acquired by FAST within the auroral density cavity show clear signatures of whistler‐mode waves propagating on the resonance cone. This allows us to obtain the electron plasma frequency, and the cavity often has densities <1 cm−3. Moreover, the hot electrons can be the dominant electron species, enabling AKR to be generated below the cold electron gyro‐frequency.

Observations of the upper frequency cutoffs of the auroral kilometric radiation

Intense auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is being frequently observed with POLRAD from the Auroral Probe (Interball-2). Observations of the abrupt upper frequency cutoffs (UFCs) in the spectra of AKR are reported. The UFCs can be observed at a frequency range from 300 to 700 kHz, corresponding to AKR generation altitudes from approximately 4800 to 2100 km, and are distributed in magnetic local time (MLT) hours similarly to the AKR events, with a maximum at 1 h MLT. The observed frequency extent of the UFCs is ≤12 kHz, and is often determined by the instrumental resolution (4 kHz). It is suggested that the UFC may be associated with an abrupt switching on of the generation mechanism, when the electron density becomes sufficiently low inside a plasma depletion at an altitude where the ratio of fpe/fce crosses some threshold value. The steepness of the UFCs can imply a non-linear process of generation. The estimated distance of the e-folding field aligned wave amplification is between 3 and 8 km. The UFCs are sometimes, though very seldom (<10%), accompanied by narrow band (less than 4 kHz) "ridges" of radiation observed at the cutoff frequency. They are smoothly drifting in frequncy for several minutes. The power density of radiation in the "ridge" can be up to 2 orders of magnitude stronger than in the accompanying wide band emission of AKR. The "ridge" at UFC can imply either energy concentration at the source bottom, or focusing, if specific conditions for the escape of the radiation are assumed.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; plasma waves and instabilities) · Radio science (magnetospheric physics)

The charged‐particle fluxes at auroral and polar latitudes and related low‐frequency auroral kilometric radiation‐type and high‐frequency wideband emission

The results of simultaneous observations of charged particle fluxes within the energy range 50 eV to 20 keV (plasma energy‐angle spectrometer, PEAS experiment) and plasma waves within the frequency range 0.1 to 10 MHz (plasma radio spectrometer, PRS 3 experiment) on board the APEX spacecraft are presented. The data were obtained at polar and auroral latitudes in the dawn‐dusk and noon‐midnight time sectors. The low‐frequency (LF) sporadic emission mainly on frequencies lower than the local gyrofrequency was commonly observed within a comparatively narrow latitude interval (∼5°– 6°) of the auroral oval. The maximum of spectral wave intensity was revealed at a frequency of ∼ 200 kHz. The sporadic character of the observed emissions, the spectra, are very similar to those reported for auroral kilometric radiation (AKR), and the temporal and spatial occurrences imply its relation to the source of AKR emissions measured at the higher altitudes, with regards to our wave measurements as LF AKR‐type emissions. Comparative analysis of spatial distributions of charged particle energy spectra and variations of wave spectra at auroral oval latitudes showed that several conditions should be fulfilled for LF AKR generation. These conditions are related both to the intensity and energy of precipitating ion and electron fluxes, and to albedo electrons and the ionospheric plasma parameters. The wideband HF emission was observed together with the LF AKR‐type emission during the morning auroral oval crossing. At spacecraft apogee altitudes, in the polar cap zone intense electron precipitations and an increase of plasma noise intensity at frequencies equal or below ƒHe were observed at the period when the IMF was northward These precipitations and emissions were accompanied by the horizontal currents crossing the polar cap, the so‐called theta structure.

Generation of the Auroral Kilometric Radiation in plasma cavities—II. The cyclotron maser instability in small size sources

One of the important results obtained with the Viking spacecraft was to show that the Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) is generated in thin source regions where the plasma, hot and tenuous, is very different from the surrounding plasma, denser and colder. A model of the generation of the AKR by the cyclotron maser instability that takes into account the finite geometry of the sources is proposed. An equation of dispersion describing the inhomogeneity effects is established and solved for different parameter regimes (various densities inside and outside the source, various electron energies and source width). The properties of its solutions (quantification of the wave vector, characteristics teristics of the internal and external waves, etc.) are investigated. For the range of parameters adapted to the AKR generation, it is shown that the most unstable waves (on the internal X mode) cannot be directly connected to the external X mode waves. A more complex scenario than the direct connection between the internal unstable waves and the external X mode waves must then be invoked for explaining the escape of the electromagnetic energy on this external mode. A possibility could be that the waves are confined inside the source until they reach an altitude where they can be connected to the external X mode. To be efficient, this scenario implies that the transmission coefficients across the source frontiers (on the O and Z modes) are as low as possible. It is shown that this condition puts severe constraints on the radiating diagram, the only possibility being that the waves are generated in a direction tangent to the source frontiers. This constraint is in perfect accordance with the observations reported in the companion paper (Louarn and Le Quéau, Planet. Space Sci. 44, 199–210, 1996).

Coincident bursts of auroral kilometric radiation and VLF emissions associated with a type III solar radio noise event

This paper examines an isolated magnetospheric VLF/radio noise event that is highly suggestive of the triggering of terrestrial auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) by solar type III radio emission and of a close relation between AKR and broadband hiss. The solar type III burst was measured on polar HF riometers and was coincident with local dayside VLF/LF noise emission bursts at South Pole station. It was also coincident with AKR bursts detected on the AMPTE/IRM satellite, at the same magnetic local time as South Pole. On the basis of the close association of AKR and VLF bursts, and from geometrical considerations relating to wave propagation, it is likely that the AKR source was on the dayside and on field lines near South Pole station. The general level of geomagnetic activity was very low. However, an isolated magnetic impulse event (MIE) accompanied by a riometer absorption pulse was in progress when all of the VLF/radio noise bursts occurred. The very close association of the type III burst at HF with the AKR is consistent with external stimulation of the AKR, if a different, more immediate, triggering process than that implied by Calvert (1981) is invoked. It is suggested here that some of the HF solar radiant energy may decay into waves with frequencies comparable to those of the AKR by parametric excitation or some other process, thus providing the few background photons required for the generation of AKR by the Wu and Lee (1979) cyclotron maser instability. The AKR, perhaps by modifying the magnetospheric electron velocity distribution, might have produced the observed VLF emissions. Alternatively, the VLF emissions may have arisen from the same anisotropic and unstable electron distribution function responsible for the AKR. While the relationship of these emission features to the occurrence of the magnetic/absorption impulse may have been coincidental, the MIE could be a preconditioning agent for the ionosphere/magnetosphere plasma, making it susceptible to the external stimulation of the AKR.