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A simulation study of the loss cone driven cyclotron maser applied to auroral kilometric radiation
Author(s) -
Wagner J. S.,
Lee L. C.,
Wu C. S.,
Tajima T.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs019i002p00509
Subject(s) - maser , physics , cyclotron , electron , radiation , population , atomic physics , scattering , cyclotron radiation , electromagnetic radiation , optics , computational physics , nuclear physics , demography , sociology
We study the linear growth and nonlinear saturation of electromagnetic radiation amplified by a hot (5–20 keV) population of electrons possessing a loss cone velocity distribution in the presence of a cold (20–500 eV) electron population. A relativistic electromagnetic simulation code is used to study the emission process. Three cases are presented in detail to illustrate the generation process of auroral kilometric radiation. The first case, which has an electron plasma frequency ω pe = 0.2ω ce (electron cyclotron frequency) and possesses a double loss cone distribution, exhibits a strong narrow peak of the fast extraordinary mode ( X mode) radiation just above the X mode cutoff frequency. The second case with ω pe = 0.2ω ce and a single loss cone distribution shows a preferred direction of propagation for the amplified radiation. The third case with ω pe = 0.5ω ce shows a peak in the ordinary mode ( O mode) radiation. In all cases, the radiation saturates by turbulent scattering of resonant particles into the loss cone.