Paul M. Kintner

Interferometric coherency determination of wavelength or what are broadband ELF waves

To determine the wavelength of waves within a random, isotropic wave field, we introduce the observable of wave coherency measured with plasma wave interferometers. We show generally that within a random direction wave field, wavelengths large compared to the interferometer length produce large coherency (nearly 1), but wavelengths the order of a few times the interferometer length, or smaller, produce small coherency (close to zero). We apply this principle first to examining auroral hiss and lower hybrid waves measured by the Physics of Auroral Zone Electrons (PHAZE) 2 and Topside Probe of the Auroral Zone (TOPAZ) 3 experiments and show that the implied wavelengths are consistent with the expected dispersion relations and with other, different estimates of wavelength for these modes. Next, we apply the principle to broadband extra low frequency (BB-ELF) electric fields observed in both experiments and conclude that the wavelengths are small. In one case we calculate the coherency of BB-ELF electric fields, using an ensemble average of 7889 data samples, and demonstrate that the coherency near the oxygen gyrofrequency is very small (≅0.15), corresponding to wavelengths of 10 m and the order of the ion gyroradius. We conclude that because of the short wavelengths, previous satellite measurements of BB-ELF electric fields may have underestimated the electric field amplitudes, unless ion gyroradii are substantially larger than the case for these rocket measurements. Although the wavelengths and frequencies of BB-ELF electric fields are now known, we are unable to assign the wave to a known, normal mode of homogeneous plasmas. This suggests that inhomogeneities may be essential for describing BB-ELF electric fields.

Energy and pitch angle‐dispersed auroral electrons suggesting a time‐variable, inverted‐V potential structure

High temporal resolution electron detectors aboard the PHAZE II rocket flight have shown that the energy-dispersed, field-aligned bursts (FABs) are time coincident with pitch angle-dispersed electrons having energies at the maximum voltage of the inverted-V potential. This modulation of the energetic inverted-V electrons is superimposed upon an energy-diffused background resulting in a peak-to-valley ratio of ∼2 for the pitch angle-dispersed electrons. Since the characteristic energy of the FABs, the order of an eV, is considerably less than that of the plasma sheet electrons (the order of a keV) presumably falling through the inverted-V potential to create the discrete aurora, the modulation mechanism has to be independent of the electron temperature. The mechanism must accelerate the cold electrons over a range of energies from the inverted-V energy down to a few tens of eV. It must do this at the same time it is creating a population of hot, pitch angle-dispersed electrons at the inverted-V energy. Both the energy dispersion of the FABs and the pitch angle dispersion of the inverted-V electrons can be used to determine a source height assuming both populations start from the same source region at the same time. These calculations give source heights between 3500 and 5300 km for various events and disagreement between the two methods the order of 20%, which is within the rather substantial error limits of both calculations. A simple mechanism of providing a common start time for both populations of electrons would be a turning on/off of a spatially limited (vertically), inverted-V potential. The energy-dispersed FABs can be reconstructed at rocket altitudes if one assumes that cold electrons are accelerated to an energy determined by how much of the inverted-V potential they fall through when it is turned on. Similarly, the pitch angle-dispersed, inverted-V electrons can be modeled at rocket altitudes if one assumes that the plasma sheet electrons falling through the entire potential drop all start to do so at the same time when the potential is turned on. The FABs seem to fluctuate at either ∼10 Hz or near 100 Hz. An important constraint of the on/off mechanism is whether cold electrons (1 eV) can fill the inverted-V volume during the off cycle. The maximum vertical height of the 10 kV potential region for the 10 Hz events would be the order of 100 and 10 km for the 100 Hz events. To get 10 kV, these heights require parallel electric fields of 0.1 and 1 V/m respectively for the 10 and 100 Hz events assuming that the filling is along B from below the inverted-V potential. Alternative mechanisms are also discussed in the light of the data presented.

Auroral ion acceleration from lower hybrid solitary structures: A summary of sounding rocket observations

In this paper we present a review of sounding rocket observations of the ion acceleration seen in nightside auroral zone lower hybrid solitary structures. Observations from Topaz3, Amicist, and Phaze2 are presented on various spatial scales, including the two-point measurements of the Amicist mission. From this collection of observations we will demonstrate the following characteristics of transverse acceleration of ions (TAI) in lower hybrid solitary structures (LHSS). The ion acceleration process is narrowly confined to 90° pitch angle, in spatially confined regions of up to a few hundred meters across B. The acceleration process does not affect the thermal core of the ambient distribution and does not directly create a measurable effect on the ambient ion population outside the LHSS themselves. This precludes observation with these data of any nonlinear feedback between the ion acceleration and the existence or evolution of the density irregularities on which these LHSS events grow. Within the LHSS region the acceleration process creates a high-energy tail beginning at a few times the thermal ion speed. The ion acceleration events are closely associated with localized wave events. Accelerated ions bursts are also seen without a concurrent observation of a localized wave event, for two possible reasons. In some cases, the pitch angles of the accelerated tail ions are elevated above perpendicular; that is, the acceleration occurred below the observer and the mirror force has begun to act upon the distribution, moving it upward from the source. In other cases, the accelerated ion structure is spatially larger than the wave event structure, and the observation catches only the ion event. The occurrence rate of these ion acceleration events is related to the ambient environment in two ways: its altitude dependence can be modeled with the parameter B 2 /n e , and it is highest in regions of intense VLF activity. The cumulative ion outflow from these LHSS TAI is consistent with Freja statistics for VLF-type premidnight auroral upflow.

Rocket observations of banded structure in waves near the Langmuir frequency in the auroral ionosphere

Using data from the PHAZE II sounding rocket, launched from Poker Flat, Alaska, we present high-resolution observations of structure in auroral HF waves at and below the local plasma frequency. These observations were made in the altitude range of 390–945 km where the local plasma frequency is below the electron cyclotron frequency. We observe monochromatic, long-lived, narrowband emissions occuring below the local plasma frequency during times of intense HF wave emission. We have termed these emissions “HF bands” due to their appearance in spectrogram images. These emissions are probably identical to the “spike” emissions identified by previous observers using lower time resolution data from the AUREOL/ARGAD3 satellite which showed a narrow peak spectra below the local plasma frequency. HF bands often occur when the local plasma density is varying and are associated with regions of intense Langmuir wave generation. We investigate the hypothesis that the HF bands are created when a Langmuir wave propagates from a low-density region into a higher density region. The wave moves onto the whistler mode branch and propagates as an HF band. Theoretical calculations of propagation times of whistler mode waves support this hypothesis.

Modulated Langmuir waves: Observations from Freja and SCIFER

Modulated Langmuir waves were commonly observed using the HF waveform-capture instruments on the Freja satellite and SCIFER sounding rocket in the terrestrial auroral zone. The modulation frequency of the Langmuir waves during several hundred events was estimated, and found to extend routinely to several tens of kilohertz. Using the linear dispersion relation for oblique Langmuir waves in the ƒpe < ƒce domain, these modulation band widths were found to correspond to interactions between waves at significantly larger angles to each other, and to B0, than typically treated in theoretical analyses of Langmuir wave modulations. A model of the modulation based on scattering via electrostatic whistler/lower hybrid waves is proposed as a viable explanation of the broad modulation bandwidth.

Relation between optical emissions, particles, electric fields, and Alfvén waves in a multiple rayed arc

Velocities of rays in auroral arcs were used to infer the perpendicular electric fields above the acceleration region. Using rocket measurements of electron energy as a proxy for the high-altitude potential, the high-altitude perpendicular electric fields were calculated and found to be in good agreement with those derived from the ray motions. Additionally, a 0.6 Hz oscillating electric field at high altitude was postulated on the basis of the passing rays. Such a field was also calculated from the electron energy measurements and was found to be closely related to an Alfven wave measured on the payload following a delay of 0.8 s. The measured electron energy flux agreed well with the auroral luminosity down to scale sizes of about 10 km. The combination of ground-based imaging and the measured energy flux also allowed a determination of the lower border altitude of the arcs. They were found to be somewhat higher (130 km) than expected on the basis of the electron energy. A tall rayed arc with a lower border height of 170 km was associated with a burst of suprathermal electrons on the poleward edge of the aurora.