Ducted propagation of chorus waves: Cluster observations

• Published in: Annales geophysicae (1988) Vol. 29; no. 9; pp. 1629 - 1634
• Main Authors: YEARBY, K. H, BALIKHIN, M. A, KHOTYAINTSEV, Yu. V, WALKER, S. N, KRASNOSELSKIKH, V. V, ALLEYNE, H. St. C. K, AGAPITOV, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Göttingen Copernicus 01-01-2011; Copernicus GmbH; European Geosciences Union; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Analysis; Earth, ocean, space; Electromagnetics; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Guided waves; Hydroelectric power; Magnetosphere; Magnetospheric physics; Ocean energy resources; Physics of the ionosphere; Physics of the magnetosphere; Plasma physics; Plasma waves and instabilities; Sciences of the Universe; Wave propagation; Plasma physics; Radiation belt; Wave interaction; digital simulation; Electrostatic wave; Plasma density; Whistler wave; Electromagnetics (Guided waves; Measurement in situ; electromagnetic waves; magnetosphere; Proxy; Wave propagation; Sampling rate; guided waves; Magnetospheric physics (Plasma waves and instabilities); electron density; Magnetospheric plasma; high resolution
• ISSN: 0992-7689; 1432-0576; 1432-0576
• DOI: 10.5194/angeo-29-1629-2011

Ducted propagation of whistler waves in the terrestrial magnetosphere-ionosphere system was discussed and studied long before the first in-situ spacecraft measurements. While a number of implicit examples of the existence of ducted propagation have been found, direct observation of ducts has been hampered by the low sampling rates of measurements of the plasma density. The present paper is based on Cluster observations of chorus waves. The ability to use measurements of the spacecraft potential as a proxy for high time resolution electron density measurements is exploited to identify a number of cases when increased chorus wave power, observed within the radiation belts, is observed simultaneously with density enchantments. It is argued that the observation of ducted propagation of chorus implies modification of numerical models for plasma-wave interactions within the radiation belts.