Whistler wave propagation in a large magnetoplasma

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.861551· OSTI ID:7285190

Stenzel, R L

The propagation of linear whistler waves is investigated in a very large quiescent collisionless discharge plasma in the parameter regime 0.05<..omega.. /..omega../subc/<1, ..omega../subc//2..pi..approx. =250 MHz, ..omega../subp//..omega../subc/approximately-greater-than10, where ..omega../subc/ and ..omega../subp/ are electron cyclotron and plasma frequency, respectively. Wave dispersion, damping, and polarization are determined from interferometer measurements. Group velocities are measured by propagating phase-coherent wave bursts. Low frequency wave packets disperse into nose whistlers. The phase and amplitude distribution of antenna-excited whistler waves is mapped along and across the magnetic field. The different directions of group and phase velocities are clearly demonstrated. Highly oblique whistlers are observed. In weakly nonuniform plasmas (n/sube//del/sub perpendicular/n/sube/very-much-greater-thanlambda/sub parallel/) ray tracing is performed directly verifying the theoretical picture of ducting in density troughs. Perfectly ducted undamped whistlers are observed in field aligned troughs of width dapprox. =lambda/sub parallel/. The profound effect of ray divergence from finite size antennas and of wave refraction effects on the axial amplitude decay has been neglected in most previous experiments and incorrectly interpreted as collisional or cyclotron damping. (AIP)

• Research Organization: TRW Systems, Redondo Beach, California 90278
• OSTI ID: 7285190
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 19:6; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
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PLASMA WAVES
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RADIO NOISE
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