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Cyclotron Maser Radiation in Space and Laboratory Plasmas
Author(s) -
Bingham R.,
Kellett B. J.,
Cairns R. A.,
Vorgul I.,
Phelps A. D. R.,
Ronald K.,
Speirs D.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
contributions to plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0863-1042
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.200410056
Subject(s) - maser , physics , cyclotron , electron , atomic physics , plasma , cyclotron radiation , particle acceleration , magnetic field , distribution function , astrophysical plasma , computational physics , astrophysics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
One of the best known coherent radio emission mechanisms is the electron cyclotron maser instability. In this article we will demonstrate that electron cyclotron maser emission is directly associated with particular types of charged particle acceleration and propagation in space and laboratory plasmas. These include electron ring distributions, horseshoe or crescent shaped electron distribution functions. Planetary and stellarmagnetospheres are examples of where horseshoe or crescent shaped electron distributions can be found and astrophysical shocks produce ring shaped electron distribution functions. In the laboratory horseshoe or crescent shaped distributions are produced whenever an electron beam propagates into a stronger magnetic field region. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)