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Cerenkov excitation of whistler/helicon waves by ionospheric HF heating
Author(s) -
Papadopoulos K.,
Zhou H.B.,
Chang C.L.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/94gl01075
Subject(s) - helicon , whistler , physics , magnetosphere , ionosphere , excitation , geophysics , van allen radiation belt , cherenkov radiation , computational physics , plasma , optics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , detector
A novel scheme for exciting VLF waves and injecting them in the magnetosphere is presented. The scheme is based on Cerenkov excitation of whistler and helicon waves in an altitude range of 80–95 km. Contrary to the traditional Cerenkov excitation which relies on a charge moving at speeds exceeding the local phase velocity of the wave, the present scheme relies on currents moving transversely to its flow direction. The moving current source is created by changing the spatial location of the energy deposition of an ionospheric heater in phase with the wave motion. Representative estimates of the VLF power injected in the magnetosphere are presented.