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Apparent electrostatic ion cyclotron waves in the diffuse aurora
Author(s) -
Bering E. A.
Publication year - 1983
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/gl010i008p00647
Subject(s) - physics , cyclotron , sounding rocket , atomic physics , ion , ionosphere , magnetosphere , geophysics , computational physics , plasma , nuclear physics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Emissions that have properties consistent with electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) waves have been observed at low altitude in the diffuse aurora by a sounding rocket payload. Peaks were observed in the power spectrum of the electric field near the hydrogen and oxygen ion cyclotron frequencies. Doppler shift and polarization analyses have been performed using EIC wave parameters derived from linear theory. Both analyses indicated that these emissions had properties consistent with those expected for H + and O + EIC waves. The two analyses indicated that both emission bands were due to waves propagating eastward parallel to the poleward boundary of the diffuse aurora. The large local cold plasma density and resulting Landau damping require that the source be local. Magnetometer data indicated the presence of a downward parallel current density of 5μA/m². Sufficient free energy for the waves was available from this current, although the waves were observed frequently at altitudes where the ion‐neutral collision frequency exceeded the oxygen cyclotron frequency.