VLF emissions from ionospheric/magnetospheric plasma

VLF emissions such as hiss, chorus, oscillating tones, hiss-triggered chorus and whistler triggered emissions have been observed at low latitude Indian stations. In this paper we present dynamic spectra of these emissions and discuss their various observed features. It is argued that most of the emissions are generated during Doppler shifted cyclotron resonance interaction between the whistler mode wave and counter streaming energetic electrons. Resonance energy of the participating electron and interaction length are evaluated to explain the generation mechanism of some of these emissions observed at Indian stations.     

Observation of very low frequency emissions at Indian Antarctic station,Maitri

Recently, we have succeeded in recording VLF emissions at the Indian Antarctic station, Maitri (geom. lat. 62°S, geom. long. 57.23°E,L = 45) using a T-type antenna, pre/main amplifiers and digital audio tape recorder. VLF hiss in the frequency ranges 11–13 kHz and 13–14.5 kHz and some riser-type emissions in the frequency range 3–5 kHz and magnetospheric lines at about 6.2, 8.0 and 9.2 kHz are reported for the first time. The generation and propagation mechanism of these emissions are discussed briefly.     

A generation mechanism for discrete very low frequency emissions observed at Varanasi

A new type of discrete VLF emissions recorded at the low-latitude ground station Varanasi (geomag. lat. 14°55′ N, geomag. long. 154°E;L = 1.07) during the strong magnetic activity on 29–30 April 1990 have been reported. A generation mechanism for various temporal and spectral features of discrete VLF emissions recorded at Varanasi is presented on the basis of cyclotron resonance interaction between whistler mode wave and energetic electrons ejected by substorm electric fields. An attempt is also made to determine parallel energy and wave growth relevant to the generation process of discrete VLF emissions. Finally, our results are discussed with other published works     

基于AKEBONO哨声波参数的内辐射带高能电子扩散模拟

为能准确地模拟内辐射带中哨声波对高能电子扩散损失的影响,基于内辐射带AKEBONO哨声波参数统计模型,及随纬度分布的背景冷等离子体密度模型,对引起电子扩散损失的大气分子,空间等离子体嘶声、闪电激发的哨声、人工激发的甚低频三类哨声波,利用准线性扩散理论,计算1.4≤ L≤2.0区域的不同能量电子,受到库仑碰撞和波粒回旋共振相互作用的弹跳周期平均赤道投掷角扩散系数,分析不同作用机制、不同类哨声波、不同能量、不同磁壳参数等对辐射带高能电子扩散损失的影响.结果表明：在赤道面损失锥角附近,高能电子主要受到库仑碰撞作用而扩散;在赤道投掷角接近90°附近区域,等离子体嘶声和闪电激发的哨声是引起扩散的主要因素;内辐射带电子主要受到甚低频电磁波波粒回旋共振扩散影响;扩散系数对高能电子能量及其所处磁壳参数比较敏感,通常,高能电子的能量或所处磁壳参数越大,扩散系数越大.     

Characteristics of nighttime VLF/ELF emissions with frequency drift and estimation of the large-scale electric field from the frequency drift observed at a low latitude Indian ground station, Jammu

Characteristics of nighttime VLF/ELF emissions are examined on the basis of the data obtained at our low latitude ground station Jammu (geomagnetic latitude, 22°26′ N; L = 1.17), India during our VLF/ELF campaign. From the detailed analysis of a huge amount of acquired VLF/ELF data at Jammu we have found three remarkable events which clearly exhibit a rise in their frequency in pre and past midnight sectors during magnetically quiet and substorm periods. Our analysis shows that the frequency drift in VLF/ELF emissions seems to be a rare phenomenon at low latitudes during magnetically quiet and substorm periods in pre and post midnight sectors. This property of temporal frequency drift (regular frequency increases with time) in VLF/ELF emissions observed at our station Jammu are interpreted in terms of a quasi-linear electron cyclotron instability model for wave excitation. The initial frequency increase is believed to be due to a combind effect of L-shell drift of energetic electrons. Further, the frequency drifts in VLF/ELF emissions observed at Jammu have been used to estimate the large scale electric field during quiet and substorm periods in pre and post midnight sectors. This investigation would be most useful for the study of the wave-particle interaction processes, magnetospheric plasma structure and particle dynamics, especially during quiet periods in premidnight sector at low latitudes.     

Daytime hiss-triggered chorus emissions observed at low latitude ground station Srinagar, India

The first observation of hiss-triggered discrete chorus riser emissions recorded during daytime at our newly setup low latitude ground station Srinagar (geomag. lat., 24° 10′ N; L = 1.28), India on March 30, 2009 are reported. From the spectral analysis of these emissions, it is found that the chorus is hiss-triggered and each chorus element has the tendency to originate from the hiss band. A possible generation mechanism of these hiss-triggered chorus riser emissions is proposed.     

基于范阿伦卫星观测的槽区嘶声波冷等离子体色散关系的适用性评估

等离子体层嘶声波对电子的散射损失是地球内外辐射带之间的槽区(1.8≤L≤3)形成的主要机制.冷等离子体色散关系被广泛地运用于量化嘶声波对高能电子的散射效应研究中,而在真实的磁层环境中,热等离子体的存在会修正嘶声波的色散特性.基于范阿伦双星的观测数据,对比了利用磁场观测数据得到的槽区嘶声波观测幅值和反演幅值,并研究了空间位置与地磁活动水平对嘶声波冷等离子体色散关系适用性的影响.结果表明,冷等离子体近似整体上高估了嘶声波的幅值,观测幅值与反演幅值的差异有着很强的日夜不对称性,而没有明显的地磁活动强度依赖性.此外发现,波动磁场的反演强度在低频(高频)处显著低于(高于)观测强度,意味着冷等离子体近似整体上高估(低估)了嘶声波对槽区较低(较高)能量电子的散射强度.研究证明,槽区嘶声波冷等离子体色散关系的适用范围有很强的空间区域与频率局限性,这对深入理解槽区电子的动态演化过程有非常重要的意义.     

基于试验粒子模拟的电离层人工调制激发的极低频和甚低频波对磁层高能电子的散射效应

电离层调制加热能够有效激发极低频和甚低频(ELF/VLF)波,其中向上传播进入磁层的ELF/VLF波能够与高能电子发生共振相互作用,具有人工沉降高能电子、消除辐射带等潜在实际用途.本文综合运用射线追踪和试验粒子方法模拟电离层人工激发的单频ELF/VLF波在电离层和磁层的传播,以及在外辐射带层与高能电子的共振相互作用过程,通过投掷角和能量散射系数评估人工ELF/VLF波对磁层高能电子的共振散射效应.研究表明,电离层人工ELF/VLF波传播到磁层后呈现高倾斜性,传播所能跨域的空间范围主要取决于加热的纬度位置和调制频率.在内辐射带,与～100 keV到几个MeV高能电子发生一阶共振相互作用的为10 kHz的VLF波段;在外辐射带,为几百Hz到1 kHz的ELF波段.对于L=4.5的外辐射带,试验粒子模拟结果显示,单个粒子在人工ELF波作用下投掷角和能量(α,E)的改变具有随机性,而所有试验粒子平均化的?α2和?E2随时间呈现出近似线性的增大,说明波粒共振散射过程体现出整体性.基于试验粒子模拟得到的共振散射系数表明,幅度为10 pT的人工ELF波可在外辐射带的磁赤道局地对1 MeV电子产生较强的投掷角散射效应,进而影响高能电子的损失、沉降等动力学过程.当人工ELF/VLF波在传播过程中变得高度倾斜,不仅最基本的一阶共振十分重要,高阶共振散射也具有较大效应.这些定量分析结果表明,通过电离层加热激发人工ELF/VLF哨声波来沉降、消除辐射带高能电子具有可行性.     

地基高频加热激励ELF/VLF波对辐射带高能电子的准线性散射

地球内、外辐射带电子通量的变化对于空间飞行器,尤其是中低轨卫星的防护有着非常重要的影响.基于回旋共振波粒相互作用的准线性理论,使用地基高频发射器发射电波调制低电离层背景电流可以人工激励ELF/VLF波,这些波能使辐射带相对论电子发生抛射角散射沉降进入大气层从而降低其生存期.为了定量地分析人工激励ELF/VLF波散射辐射带高能粒子的可行性,针对内、外辐射带,本文选取了两个典型区域：L=4.6和L=1.5.数值计算结果表明,在内、外辐射带由于ELF/VLF波的人工注入而造成的高能电子损失时间尺度很大程度上取决于冷等离子体参量α^*(∝B²/N₀,这里B是背景磁场,N₀是电子数密度)、电波频谱特性和功率,以及与波发生回旋共振的电子能量.一般来讲,在外辐射带人工ELF/VLF哨声波散射相对论电子使之沉降到大气层要容易得多;低能量的高能电子(200keV)要比高能量的相对论电子(500keV)更有效地通过抛射角散射进入大气层.考虑到高频电波加热电离层激励的ELF/VLF波可能会被捕获在磁层空腔中,来回反射从而得到增强,因此在适当的条件下,地基高频加热装置发射足够的电波功率进入电离层诱导大幅度ELF/VLF波注入到内磁层,能够在1至3天的时间尺度内快速散射外辐射带相对论电子使之沉降,也能够在10天量级的时间尺度里散射生存周期一般为100天甚至更长的内辐射带相对论电子. 关键词： 地基高频加热电离层 ELF/VLF波激励 高能电子散射和沉降 共振波粒相互作用     

The effect of plasma drift on the electromagnetic cyclotron instability

It is shown that the drift of plasma across a homogeneous magnetic field causes the generation of a wave electric field which, for waves propagating along the magnetic field in the whistler mode, is in the direction of the magnetic field. This leads to Landau damping of the wave field by the background electron distribution, simultaneously with amplification via the electromagnetic cyclotron instability. The drift velocity of the plasma for zero net growth of a whistler mode signal is calculated. It is suggested that such a process occurs in the equatorial region of the magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm and accounts for the missing band of emissions at half the equatorial gyrofrequency.     

Perturbations of ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling by powerful VLF emissions from ground-based transmitters

The characteristics of the plasma-wave disturbances stimulated in the near-Earth plasma by powerful VLF radiation from ground-based transmitters are investigated. Radio communication VLF transmitters of about 1 MW in power are shown to produce artificial plasma-wave channels (density ducts) in the near-Earth space that originate in the lower ionosphere above the disturbing emission source and extend through the entire ionosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth along the magnetic field lines. Measurements with the onboard equipment of the DEMETER satellite have revealed that under the action of emission from the NWC transmitter, which is one of the most powerful VLF radio transmitters, the generation of quasi-electrostatic (plasma) waves is observed on most of the satellite trajectory along the disturbed magnetic flux tube. This may probably be indicative of stimulated emission of a magnetospheric maser.     

Comparing the geomagnetic thresholds of cosmic rays for two empirical models of the magnetosphere during the period of an extreme geomagnetic storm in November 2003

The accuracy of determining the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity (the geomagnetic threshold) is closely related to that of describing the magnetic field of the magnetosphere with the model used for calculations. Geomagnetic thresholds are calculated for two empirical models of the magnetosphere, Ts0l and Ts04, constructed on the basis of the same initial experimental data. The Ts01 model describes the average magnetosphere for certain conditions in the solar wind and interplanetary field. The Ts01 model focuses on describing the large-scale evolution of magnetospheric currents during a storm. A comparison of the geomagnetic thresholds for Ts0l and Ts04 with experimental thresholds calculated by the Spectrographic Global Survey from data of the CR global network stations shows that the Ts01 model describes the magnetic field of the magnetosphere more realistically. Our study was conducted for the period of a strong geomagnetic storm in November 2003.     

Synchronized whistlers recorded at Varanasi

Some interesting events of synchronized whistlers recorded at low latitude station Varanasi during magnetic storm period of the year 1977 are presented. The dynamic spectrum analysis shows that the component whistlers are Eckersley whistlers having dispersion 10 s^1/2 and 30 s^1/2. An attempt has been made to explain the dynamic spectra using lightning discharge generated from magnetospheric sources     

The Parameterization Method of Discrete VLF Chorus Emissions

Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics - We present a method for automatic search and parameterization of discrete elements of very low-frequency (VLF) chorus emissions. The method is based on the...     

Theory of Generation of Discrete ELF/VLF Emissions in the Earth's Magnetosphere

We review the current state of studies related to the origin of discrete ELF/VLF emissions in the Earth's magnetosphere and discuss recent theoretical results concerning this problem.     

The effects of solar flares on the very low frequency signals recorded by super SID system

Solar flares cause sudden disturbances at the Earth’s ionosphere. These effects are detected by the very low frequency (VLF), 3?30-kHz signals which are propagated at the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. The sudden changes on the time-dependent intensity of VLF signals are recorded by Super SID system during February, March, and April, 2013. Then VLF data were compared with the GOES satellite data found in the Space Environment Center online database. The main factors of the variation in VLF signal intensities recorded by the Super SID system are class, duration of the solar flare and the frequency of VLF signals.     

MRI of the lung gas-space at very low-field using hyperpolarized noble gases

In hyperpolarized (HP) noble-gas magnetic resonance imaging, large nuclear spin polarizations, about 100,000 times that ordinarily obtainable at thermal equilibrium, are created in 3He and 129Xe. The enhanced signal that results can be employed in high-resolution MRI studies of void spaces such as in the lungs. In HP gas MRI the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) depends only weakly on the static magnetic field (B(0)), making very low-field (VLF) MRI possible; indeed, it is possible to contemplate portable MRI using light-weight solenoids or permanent magnets. This article reports the first in vivo VLF MR images of the lungs in humans and in rats, obtained at a field of only 15 millitesla (150 Gauss).     

Separation of physiological very low frequency fluctuation from aliasing by switched sampling interval fMRI scans

Anesthetized children have dominant blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal sources presenting high-power fluctuations at very low frequencies (VLF <0.05 Hz). Aliasing of frequencies higher than critically sampled has been regarded as one probable origin of the VLF fluctuations. Aliased signal frequencies change when the sampling rate of the data is altered. In this study, the aliasing of VLF BOLD signal fluctuation was analysed by switching the repetition time (TR) of magnetic resonance (MR) images. Eleven anesthetized children were imaged at 1.5 T using TRs of 500 and 1200 ms. The BOLD signal sources were separated with independent component analysis (ICA). Occipital cortex signal sources had nonaliased VLF fluctuation ( approximately 0.03 Hz) in 9 of 11 subjects. Arterial signal sources failed to present stable power peaks at frequencies lower than 0.42 Hz presumably due to aliasing. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-related signal sources showed nonaliased VLF in four subjects. In conclusion, the VLF BOLD signal fluctuation in the occipital cortex is a true physiological fluctuation, not a result of signal aliasing.     

Magnetospheric dynamics during the storm of February 14, 2009

The structure of the magnetic field in the magnetospheric during the storm of February 14, 2009 is studied. The model parameters that characterize the magnetospheric magnetic field are calculated every hour on the basis of solar wind data and the evolution of the magnetic field during the storm is reproduced using the A2000 model of the Earth’s magnetosphere. It is shown that extremely quiet geomagnetic conditions in 2009 promoted the expansion of the magnetosphere and were favorable for the formation of magnetic-island-like structures (plasmoids) in the geomagnetic tail. It is ascertained that negative variations in the B_z component could occur in the nightside magnetosphere in situations where the magnetic flux through the tail lobes exceeded certain thresholds, which depend on the parameters of the magnetospheric current systems. It is shown that the formation of magnetic islands decreases the magnetic flux through the tail lobes and prevents excessively strong development of the magnetic field in the tail.     

Proton loss of inner radiation belt during geomagnetic storm of 2018 based on CSES satellite observation

The proton distribution in inner radiation belt is often affected by strong geomagnetic storm disturbance. Based on the data of the sun-synchronous CSES satellite, which carries with several high energy particle payloads and was launched in February 2018, we analyzed the extensive proton variations in the inner radiation belt in a wide energy range of 2 MeV-220 MeV during 2018 major geomagnetic storm. The result indicates that the loss mechanism of protons was energy dependence which is consistent with some previous studies. For protons at low energy 2 MeV-20 MeV, the fluxes were decreased during main phase of the storm and did not come back quickly during the recovery phase, which is likely to be caused by Coulomb collision due to neutral atmosphere density variation. At higher energy 30 MeV-100 MeV, it was confirmed that the magnetic field line curvature scattering plays a significant role in the proton loss phenomenon during this storm. At highest energies > 100 MeV, the fluxes of protons kept a stable level and did not exhibit a significant loss during this storm.