Upconversion of whistler waves by gyrating ion beams in a plasma

A gyrating ion beam, with a ring-shaped distribution in velocity, supports negative energy beam modes near the harmonics of beam gyro-frequency. An investigation of the non-linear interaction of high-frequency whistler waves with the negative energy beam cyclotron mode is made. A non-linear dispersion relation is derived for the coupled modes. It is shown that a gyrating ion-beam frequency upconverts the whistler waves separated by harmonics of beam gyro-frequency. The expression for the growth rate of whistler mode waves has been derived. In Case 1, a high-amplitude whistler wave decays into two lower frequency waves, called a low-frequency mode and a side band of frequency lower than that of pump wave. In Case 2 a high-amplitude whistler wave decays into two lower frequency daughter waves, called the low-frequency mode and whistler waves. Generation mechanism of these waves has application in space and laboratory plasmas.     

General Schrödinger equation for whistler waves propagating along a magnetic field

The general Schrödinger equation (GSE) for whistler waves with their group velocity directed along an external magnetic field is derived. The “mean” wave vector of the wave beam may be parallel to or have an angle Θ = arccos(2ω/ω_c) with the magnetic field. Applications of GSE to the whistler propagation in density ducts are considered. The results are important for the problem of the self-focusing of whistler waves.     

Dispersion properties and field structures of eigenmodes of nonuniform plasma waveguides in a longitudinal magnetic field

We study the field structure and dispersion properties of a hybrid eigenmode guided by a nonuniform magnetized plasma waveguide. It is shown that the rotational and quasi-potential waves contribute to the formation of such a mode in the whistler frequency range. Depending on the plasma density, the rotational component of the hybrid mode is determined by either waves with complex transverse wave numbers or whistler waves, or by true surface waves. In the presence of an axial nonuniformity of the plasma in a channel, the transverse field structure of the propagating mode changes, which is stipulated by changes in both the values of transverse wave numbers and their dependence on the radial coordinate. It is found that the spectrum of axial wave numbers of eigenmodes of a plasma waveguide undergoes a pronounced condensation when smoothing the waveguide walls. The damping of the hybrid mode of a nonuniform waveguide due to electron collisions is found and it is shown that collisional losses determine the damping of waves trapped in the waveguide in the experiments on ionization self-channeling of whistler waves. We have found the effect of “displacing” the strong field from the inner core to the background outer region of the waveguide with increasing plasma density on its axis and broadening background region. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 49, No. 7, pp. 607–617, July 2006.     

Whistler waves guided by ducts with enhanced density in a collisional magnetoplasma

We study the guided propagation of whistler waves along cylindrical ducts with enhanced density in a collisional magnetoplasma. It is shown that under certain conditions, the presence of comparatively small dissipative losses due to electron collisions in a plasma medium can lead to significant changes in the dispersion characteristics and field structures of whistler modes guided by such ducts compared with the case of a collisionless plasma. We present the results of numerical calculations showing such changes in the properties of whistler modes. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 31–49, January 2008.     

Nonsymmetric Whistler Waves Guided by Cylindrical Ducts with Enhanced Plasma Density

We study the guided propagation of whistler waves whose fields depend on the azimuthal angle in cylindrical plasma-waveguide channels (density ducts) aligned with an external magnetic field and surrounded by a uniform magnetoplasma. The main attention is paid to ducts with enhanced plasma density. It is shown that, under certain conditions, such ducts are capable of guiding proper (eigen) modes and improper leaky modes. We present the results of analysis of the dispersion properties and field structures of nonsymmetric modes guided by cylindrical ducts in the whistler frequency range.     

Plasma Maser Theory of Whistler Waves in the Presence of Ion Cyclotron Turbulence

In this paper we consider the plasma maser theory of whistler waves in the presence of ion cyclotron waves in a magnetized plasma. In a plasma with low frequency ion cyclotron turbulence and a high frequency test whistler wave, growth of the whistler wave takes place because of the turbulent bremsstrahlung interaction between the resonant electrons and the modulated electric fields. The growth rate of the whistler wave is calculated and the results discussed.     

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.     

Parametric generation of whistler waves due to the interaction of high-frequency wave beams with a magnetoplasma

The parametric generation of low-frequency whistler waves by a pump wave beam formed by high-frequency whistler waves with close frequencies is studied experimentally. The electromagnetic fields excited by the beats of two co- or counterpropagating high-frequency waves, or by an amplitude-modulated pump are studied. It is shown that the nonlinear currents at the beat (modulation) frequency are generated by a transverse ponderomotive force arising due to the finite width of the high-frequency beam. In this case, the nonlinear azimuthal drift currents enclose the pump beam and can radiate low-frequency whistler waves to the surrounding plasma.     

Whistler mode based explanation for the fast reconnection rate measured in the mit versatile toroidal facility

Despite the widely discussed role of whistler waves in mediating magnetic reconnection (MR), the direct connection between such waves and the MR has not been demonstrated by comparing the characteristic temporal and spatial features of the waves and the MR process. Using the whistler wave dispersion relation, we theoretically predict the experimentally measured rise time (τ(rise)) of a few microseconds for the fast rising MR rate in the Versatile Toroidal Facility at MIT. The rise time is closely given by the inverse of the frequency bandwidth of the whistler waves generated in the evolving current sheet. The wave frequencies lie much above the ion cyclotron frequency, but they are limited to less than 0.1% of the electron cyclotron frequency in the argon plasma. The maximum normalized MR rate R=0.35 measured experimentally is precisely predicted by the angular dispersion of the whistler waves.     

Coupled whistler and ion-acoustic mode propagation in two-electron-temperature plasmas

The nonlinear coupling between whistler and ion-acoustic modes in a plasma having bi-Maxwellian distributed electrons is considered. For stationary propagation, the coupled waves lead to a novel nonlinear structure which has a triple-hump profile for the whistler field intensity. In the critical parameter regime (Δ = 3), only supersonic propagation of the coupled modes is allowed. In other regimes, three integrable cases of the coupled mode propagation have been identified.     

Laboratory modeling of the interaction of electron beams with a magnetoplasma

We present the results of laboratory experiments in which the mechanisms of interaction of electron beams with whistler waves in a magnetoplasma are studied. Different mechanisms of whistler generation during the injection of a modulated electron beam in the plasma are studied, and the mechanism of conversion of the beam kinetic energy to radiation is demonstrated. The processes of whistler wave generation by the modulated beam at the ˇ Cerenkov and Doppler resonances are analyzed in detail. The excitation of whistler waves by means of a nonresonant mechanism of the transition radiation is studied.     

Modulation instability of whistler waves

The Karpman and Krushkal criterion has been applied to nonlinear Schrödinger equation derived for whistler waves propagating through magnetoplasma containing parallel electrostatic field. The role of parallel electrostatic field on the frequency spectrum and growth rate of modulational instability has been discussed.     

A whistler wave interaction with a density striation: a laboratoryinvestigation of an auroral process

In a laboratory experiment, whistler waves are launched toward a field-aligned density gradient. Characteristic scale length and frequency ratios were carefully scaled to reproduce situations found in the auroral ionosphere. The experiment clearly shows the direct conversion of whistler waves to largely electrostatic lower hybrid waves     

Electrodynamics and dispersion properties of a magnetoplasma containing elongated and rotating dust grains

The electrodynamics and dispersion properties of a magnetized dusty plasma containing elongated and rotating charged dust grains are examined. Starting from an appropriate Lagrangian for dust grains, a kinetic equation for the dust grain and the corresponding equations of motion are derived. Expressions for the dust charge and dust current densities are obtained with the finite size (the dipole moment) of elongated and rotating dust grains taken into account. These charge and current densities are combined with the Maxwell-Vlasov system of equations to derive dispersion relations for the electromagnetic and electrostatic waves in a dusty magnetoplasma. The dispersion relations are analyzed to demonstrate that the dust grain rotation introduces new classes of instabilities involving various low-frequency waves in a dusty magnetoplasma. Examples of various unstable low-frequency waves include the electron whistler, the dust whistler, dust cyclotron waves, AlfvÉn waves, electromagnetic ion-cyclotron waves, as well as lower-hybrid, electrostatic ion cyclotron, modified dust ion-acoustic waves, etc. Also found is a new type of unstable waves whose frequency is close to the dust grain rotation frequency. The present results should be useful in understanding the properties of low-frequency waves in cosmic and laboratory plasmas that are embedded in an external magnetic field and contain elongated and rotating charged dust grains.     

Ionization self-channeling of whistler waves in a collisional magnetized plasma

An investigation is made of the self-interaction of whistler waves (whistlers) involving the formation of waveguide channels in a collisional magnetoactive plasma as a result of its additional ionization by the field of the propagating wave. Simplified equations are derived to describe the behavior of the whistler field in a channel of enhanced plasma density in the presence of electron collisions. Self-consistent distributions of the field and the plasma corresponding to steady-state ionization self-channeling of whistlers are obtained by numerically solving the equations for the field together with balance equations for the electron density and energy. Our estimates indicate that this effect can be observed under laboratory conditions. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1285–1298 (October 1997)     

Transonic whistler solitons

We consider the coupling of ion-acoustic perturbations with large amplitude electron whistler waves. Transonic envelope whistler solitons having a group velocity near the ion-acoustic speed are found.     

Equations describing the interaction between whistlers and magnetosonic waves

Simplified equations for the nonlinear interaction between whistlers and magnetosonic waves are formulated. These equations describe all the different branches for modulational instabilities of whistler waves, and lead to dispersion relations which are the same as those found from the full set of equations. Our new equations are much more convenient than previously used equations in describing nonlinear whistler wave phenomena.     

Compression of whistler waves in a plasma with a nonstationary magnetic field

We present the results of our experiments in which the propagation of whistler waves in a plasma with a nonstationary magnetic-field perturbation (B=B₀+δB(t), δB/B₀ ≤ 5%) was investigated. The parametric and dispersive phenomena in a variable magnetic field were studied on the unique Krot plasma bench (the plasma column was 4 m in length and 1.5 m in diameter). A periodic field perturbation is shown to lead to an amplitude-frequency modulation of the whistler wave and to fragmentation of the signal into separate frequency-modulated wavepackets followed by their compression. The formation and compression of pulses is attributable to strong whistler group-velocity dispersion near the electron cyclotron frequency (ω ≤ ω_H). The results can be used to interpret the spectral shapes of the signals received from the Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere in the electron and ion whistler frequency ranges.     

Whistler channeling in ducts with enhanced density in a magnetoactive plasma

We study the guided propagation of whistler waves along the density ducts created in a magnetoactive plasma under thermal nonlinear conditions. It is found that the thermal diffusion-driven redistribution of plasma due to electron heating in the quasistatic field of a current loop of fairly large radius leads to the formation of a duct with enhanced density. Based on experimental data and theoretical calculations, it is shown that such a duct can sustain the weakly decaying whistler modes excited by a magnetic-type antenna immersed in it. Radiophysical Research Institute, Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 384–394, March, 1998.     

Spiky whistler solitons

Purely ponderomotive force-driven electron motion is shown to produce spiky electron whistler solitary waves.