Observation of Bound States and Counterrotating Lower Hybrid Eigenmodes in the Auroral Ionosphere
- School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (United States)
Definitive evidence from a plasma wave interferometer carried on a sounding rocket is presented for the observation of counterrotating electric field structures observed at frequencies above and below the local lower hybrid resonance frequency, f{sub LHR} , of the ambient plasma. These counterrotating structures were observed within the context of a lower hybrid solitary structure (LHSS), and were found to rotate in a right-handed (left-handed) sense around the geomagnetic field at frequencies above (below) f{sub LHR} , in accord with previous predictions for and observations of electric field eigenmodes within a density depletion. The presence of a narrow band feature below f{sub LHR} indicates the presence of trapped waves, and represents clear evidence of a bound state of lower hybrid waves in the auroral ionosphere. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 638801
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 26; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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