Helium cyclotron harmonic waves in the magnetospheric plasma

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Adv. Space Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5021532

Jones, D ^[1]; Korth, A; Ronnmark, K; Young, D

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1. ESA, Space Science Dept., Noordwijk, Netherlands

Observations on the satellite GEOS 1 have shown the presence of banded emissions whose frequency spacing is of the order of the local He(+) cyclotron frequency. Above the proton cyclotron frequency, the emissions are electrostatic in character whereas below they are electromagnetic. It is believed that these form the first observations of electrostatic ion cyclotron harmonic waves detected in the earth's magnetosphere beyond approximately 1 earth radius. An investigation of the cold ion population at the times of the observed events indicates that helium ions form a large percentage of the total concentration, and occasionally may entirely dominate the population. Energetic ion distribution functions appear to peak in the energy range less than or equal to 30 keV, and show anisotropic pitch-angle distributions. Preliminary instability calculations using these observations are beginning to yield an insight into a mechanism whereby the waves can be produced.

• OSTI ID: 5021532
• Report Number(s): CONF-8006190-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Adv. Space Res.; (United States) Journal Volume: 1:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COLD PLASMA
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
CYCLOTRON HARMONICS
DATA
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EMISSION SPECTRA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUNCTIONS
GEOS SATELLITES
HARMONICS
HELIUM IONS
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
ION DENSITY
IONS
MAGNETOSPHERE
NUMERICAL DATA
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
SATELLITES
SPECTRA