The Influence of artificial plasma irregularities on the propagation of VLF waves in the Earth’s magnetosphere

In the framework of the approximation of geometric optics, the peculiarities of VLF-wave propagation in the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere during the creation of large-scale artificial plasma irregularities by heating facilities such as HAARP and “Sura” in the ionosphere are studied. For calculation of ray trajectories, the profile of the concentration and ion composition of plasma is taken by calculating the SAMI2 ionospheric model, which was modified to take the influence on the ionosphere of the HF emissions of heating facilities into account. As a result of the influence of the heating facilities on the ionosphere, a region could occur with an increased plasma concentration that is stretched out along the geomagnetic field (up to heights on the order of the Earth’s radius) with small dimensions across the field (～1°). The ray trajectories of waves that propagate from heights of about 100 km from different initial points in the region where such a disturbance has been created with different initial inclination angles of the wave normal are studied in this paper. Both lightning discharges and modulated HF heating of the ionosphere could be the sources of such waves. It is shown on the basis of the performed analysis that the presence of such disturbances in density can lead to a substantial changes in wave-propagation trajectories, in particular, to efficient channeling of VLF waves in the disturbance region and an increase in the interval of the initial propagation angles of waves, which can reach the ionosphere in the opposite hemisphere.     

太赫兹波在等离子鞘套中的传播

文章介绍了平面波斜入射到不均匀非磁化等离子体时的散射矩阵方法,并用这种方法分析了等离子鞘套中太赫兹信号的传播特性;计算了鞘套的反射,透射与群时延。计算结果表明,在低碰撞频率时,鞘套的高通特性显著,随着碰撞频率的增加,鞘套的反射与透射系数随频率的变化趋于缓和;总体上等离子体的入射波频率的增加,有利于电磁波的透射。     

碰撞等离子体的宽频带电磁波吸收特性

针对具有金属反射面的非均匀等离子体对电磁波的反射、吸收问题,采用求解波动方程的方法构造相应的边界条件,详细研究各种参数等离子体对电磁波的吸收特性,讨论对等离子体参数及波动方程进行归一化的方法,得到归一化条件下的等离子体宽频带吸收特性。计算分析表明,对于电子密度为某种渐进分布的有碰撞的低温等离子体,当碰撞频率与最大电子密度处的等离子体频率相近或略大,且等离子体层的厚度足够大时,在一个较宽的频带内,等离子体对电磁波有较强的吸收作用。研究结论可以用于等离子体参数的选择,及等离子体隐身的参数设计。     

一种基于人工扰动电离层的通信对抗技术研究

研究了扰动后的电离层对不同波段的电磁波传播的影响,并探讨了该项技术在通信对抗上的具体应用。结果表明:受扰电离层可以引导VLF波进行"哨声模式"传播,进而实现对潜通信;可以使得HF波传播轨迹发生偏转、逃逸、聚焦和散焦,进而实现短波干扰;可以降低卫星通信频率,进而利用新波段实现卫星保密通信,同时还能产生透镜效应,对实现卫星通信的VHF电波产生额外增益,增强通信效果。     

Electrostatic Noise Spectrum at the Electron Cyclotron Frequency and Electromagnetic Emission in the Inhomogeneous Plasma of the Topside Ionosphere

Measurements of the wave emission of the topside ionosphere made onboard the APEX satellite using the electric component of the wave field in the 0.1–10 MHz frequency band are presented. At middle latitudes a wave intensity decrease was observed in the broad-band spectrum of the electrostatic noise at the electron cyclotron frequency. It is shown that a break in the spectrum of electrostatic modes at the electron cyclotron frequency (the absence of the plasma eigen-frequencies) may be a cause of the observed effect. The increase of the intensity at the electron cyclotron frequency in the ionospheric trough and at latitudes above the trough region as compared to middle latitudes may be explained by the capture by plasma irregularities of the electromagnetic emission of the auroral electron fluxes.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2005, pp. 201–208.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Izhovkina, Prutensky, Pulinets, Kiraga, Klos, Rothkael.     

电磁波与TVP相互作用

基于时变等离子体(TVP)的场方程,根据麦克斯韦方程,推导了TVP对入射电磁波的频率上移、时间衰减常数、反射系数,以及TVP的透射波和反射波电场幅值计算公式。通过实例计算分析了不同时间的新波频率、时间衰减常数和电场幅值。方法简单易行,可为TVP的应用提供一定的理论依据。     

Quasistatic dipole in magnetized plasma in resonance frequency band. Response of the receiving antenna,and charge distribution on the antenna wire

The paper discusses issues related to the radiation and reception of quasi-electrostatic waves by short antennas in resonance conditions (in the whistler range) in magnetized plasma. First, the response of the receiving antenna on the incident field of slow quasipotential waves is analyzed. It made it possible to explain in detail the results of the two-point rocket experiment OEDIPUS-C in the Earth’s ionosphere. Second, the problem of the charge distribution along the short transmission (reception) dipole antenna is considered. The corresponding integral equation is obtained and solved analytically. The impedance of the antenna is found. It is shown that in the majority of cases, charge distribution along the dipole length can be considered constant.     

任意角入射到非均匀等离子体的WKB法

用WKB法研究了以任意角入射的电磁波在非均匀非磁化等离子体中的衰减特性,给出了电磁波在非均匀非磁化等离子体中的双程衰减公式。选用抛物线型等离子体密度分布进行计算,基于等离子体共振吸收概念分析了双程衰减与入射电磁波频率、等离子体碰撞频率、等离子体最大密度和电磁波入射角等的关系。对等离子体隐身研究有一定的参考价值。     

Electromagnetic sounding of planets from a low-orbiting probe

Is it theoretically possible to perform magnetotelluric sounding in order to determine the conductivity of a planet’s interior based on the registration of variable electric and magnetic fields on a low-orbiting space probe? In this case, fast magnetosonic (FMS) waves in the planetary magnetosphere can play the role of sounding waves. It has been indicated that the registration of FMS-wave impedance (the ratio of the electric and magnetic components) onboard the probe actually makes it possible to estimate the planetary conductivity for a planet with a magnetosphere and ionosphere.     

Disturbance in the lower ionosphere that accompanied the reentry of the Chelyabinsk cosmic body

The paper describes quasi-periodic and aperiodic variations in the phase and amplitude of radio waves of LF and VLF ranges, which accompanied the flight and explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid. Quasi-periodic variations in the phase have been explained by the generation of acoustic-gravity waves in the atmosphere, which modulate the electron density in the ionosphere and the phase of radio waves. Aperiodic variations in the phase and amplitude of radio waves are associated with an increase in the electron density in the lower ionosphere (at altitudes of 65–70 km). This increase was most likely caused by the interactions of subsystems in the Earth–atmosphere–ionosphere–magnetosphere system or, more correctly, by the precipitation of high-energy electrons from the magnetosphere into the lower ionosphere, which was stimulated by the flight and explosion of a cosmic body. According to the estimates, the density of the flux of electrons with energies of 100 KeV should be on the order of 106 m^–2 s^–1.     

On the amplitude of low-frequency signals in the nighttime ionosphere over thunderstorm discharges

It is shown that the origin of anomalous amplitudes of ULF/ELF signals in the topside ionosphere over thunderstorm discharges could be caused by the existence of regions of highly-ionized plasma in the lower ionosphere. The alternating current of the lightning electromagnetic pulse can generate in the region of highly-ionized plasma formed in the lower ionosphere due to the influence of thunderstorm discharges magneto-hydrodynamic waves propagating into the topside ionosphere. On the basis of the suggested model, the estimates of amplitude and duration of the Alfven mode propagating into the topside ionosphere are obtained, which agree with the measurements in rocket experiments over thunderstorms.     

Pulsating aurora and quasiperiodic VLF hiss in the auroral zone morning sector: The event of December 30, 2011

The spatial–temporal variations in aurora and VLF emissions during an weak intensification in the auroral zone morning sector on December 30, 2011, have been analyzed. The event was accompanied by a negative bay (~70 nT) in the X component of the magnetic field at ground stations in northern Scandinavia. At the recovery phase of this bay, the precipitation zone moved and VLF emission frequency simultaneously increased over ten minutes, which may indicate that waves and precipitating electrons had a common source. VLF noise bursts in the 600–1000 Hz band with a characteristic modulation scale of ~10 s and the corresponding aurora intensifications localized in the ~100 km region were observed during the following ten minutes, which also confirms that recorded waves are related to electron precipitation. This correspondence of the pulsating aurora periods and VLF noise modulation has been revealed for the first time. The role of VLF wave generation processes during the cyclotron interaction with electrons in the magnetosphere and the propagation of these waves from the magnetosphere to the observation point are discussed.     

Structure of the Disturbed Magnetosphere

The quasitrapping region (QTR) at the night side of a disturbed magnetosphere in the majority of models is either absent completely or merges with the plasma sheet of the magnetosphere tail. At the same time these two regions are different both in the topology of the magnetic field and in the character of motion of charged particles. Moreover, it is the region of quasitrapping that is conjugate to the zone of auroral active forms; i.e., it can be called the auroral magnetosphere. Models of the magnetosphere in which the tail structures of the magnetic field are directly adjacent to the boundary of stable trapping (in particular, the isotropic boundary model) are based on erroneous assumptions. Our understanding of the processes of magnetosphere substorms and magnetic storms depends on a correct understanding of the magnetosphere structure.     

Electromagnetic Pulse in the Magnetosphere Generated by Impulsive Current near the Lower Boundary of the Ionosphere

A solution to the problem of current spreading is constructed in the case of relaxation of electric charges, which have arisen in the mesosphere for one reason or other. These currents penetrate into the conductive region with anisotropic conductivity of the D- and E-layers of the ionosphere, being transformed to a MHD-wave that propagates into the magnetosphere. Based on this solution, the form and spectrum of the generated MHD signal are calculated for Alfvenic and magnetosonic modes coming out to the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Electric charges and currents can arise, for example, in the space between a thunderstorm cloud and the ionosphere, or between the shock wave from a ground explosion and the ionosphere. Some signal parameters accepted in the model are close to those expected for high-altitude electric discharges of the Red Sprite type. The conditions are determined under which the Alfven impulse with an amplitude of up to 100 nT propagates in the magnetosphere above high-altitude discharge of this type. Such an impulse was recorded by the AUREOL-3 satellite after the ground explosion MASSA-1. Recently, this impulse was hypothesized to originate as a result of a high-altitude electric discharge. The hypothesis on a similar MHD pulse allows one to explain in a semiquantitative way the short burst of electron field-aligned acceleration observed by the DE-2 satellite over the Debbie hurricane. The high-altitude atmospheric discharge of this type can be a powerful, though short-time and local, source of electrons with kiloelectronvolt energies at low and middle latitudes. One could expect that such an effect causes a modified character of the so-called Trimpi-effect (a short-term disturbance of propagation of VLF waves in the ionosphere), and thus, it can be observable.     

等离子鞘套热力学波动对电磁波传播的影响

针对等离子鞘套热力学波动造成电磁波传播特性变化的问题，结合湍流理论、等离子理论和电磁波传播理论，得到了热力学参数波动与介电常数间的关系。计算了不同状态下热力学参数波动引起S和Ka波段电磁波透射和反射系数的变化。结果表明，当电子密度增大，S波段反射系数变化减小、透射系数变化增大；当Ka波段在碰撞频率10MHz时，反射系数变化增大、透射系数变化减小，在碰撞频率1GHz和50GHz时透射系数变化反射系数变化先增后减。不同高度下波动的影响也不同，S波段透射和反射系数变化随高度升高先减后增；Ka波段透射系数变化先减后增、反射系数变化先减后增而后再次减小。因此，应根据实际环境状态获得波动的包络范围，进而针对性开展测控通信系统设计。     

The development of compression long-period pulsations on the recovery phase of the magnetic storm on May 23, 2007

The features of the excitation of spatially localized long-period (10–15 min) irregular pulsations with a maximum amplitude of ~200 nT at a geomagnetic latitude of 66° in the morning sector 5 MLT are considered. Fluctuations were recorded against the background of substorm disturbances (maximum AE ~ 1278 nT). Antiphase variations of plasma density and magnetic field accompanied by vortex disturbances of the magnetic field both in the magnetosphere and the ionosphere have been recorded in the magnetosphere in this sector. Compression fluctuations corresponding to a slow magnetosonic wave have been recorded in the interplanetary medium in the analyzed period. It is assumed that pulsations have been excited in the localization of the cloud of injected particles in the plasma sheet by compression fluctuations caused by variations of the dynamic pressure of solar wind.     

The effect of heavy ions on the spectrum of oscillations of the magnetosphere

Some issues concerning the influence of multi-ion composition of plasma on the spectrum of ultralow frequency (ULF) oscillations in the magnetosphere are analyzed. Main emphasis is made on the effects that are perceptible by analyzing the results of observations of ULF oscillations. The resonator confining ion cyclotron waves in the equatorial zone high above the Earth is considered, as well as the near-equatorial waveguide existing under the plasmasphere arch and canalizing magnetosonic waves in the azimuth direction. It is shown that the very existence of the ion-cyclotron resonator would be impossible, if only one species of ions were contained in plasma. It is emphasized that the problem of excitation of magnetosonic waves with harmonics of the gyrofrequency of O⁺ needs further investigation. The effect of heavy ions on the spectrum of Alfvén oscillations of the magnetosphere is considered. Some arguments are presented giving evidence that existence of alpha-particles in the solar wind leads to an asymmetry of the spectrum of magnetosonic oscillations in front of the Earth’s bow shock. Anomalously large asymmetry is expected at immersion of the Earth into the “plasmasphere” of the flare-associated stream of solar plasma. The general conclusion is made that even a small admixture of heavy ions can have a substantial effect on the spectrum of ULF oscillations.     

非均匀磁化等离子体层的电磁特性分析

基于分层传播原理提出了一种计算电磁波在非均匀磁化等离子体层中反射率和吸收率的模型,并数值分析了等离子体密度与碰撞频率,以及背景磁场强度对电磁波的反射和吸收特性的影响.研究表明:该法所得结果与文献的传播矩阵(SMM)法一致.数值分析发现:低密度高碰撞频率等离子体可减少等离子体层对入射波的功率反射;高密度高碰撞频率等离子体可改善其对入射波的功率反射宽频带吸收特性;背景磁场强度可明显改变等离子共振吸收频段.     

Space-time structure of ion-cyclotron waves in the topside ionosphere as observed onboard the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ST</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">5</Emphasis> satellites

Results of observations of ion-cyclotron (IC) waves onboard the ST-5 satellites in the topside ionosphere (heights from a few hundred up to thousands of km) are presented. In this project, three identical micro-satellites were located during three months in 2006 in almost identical orbits with distances between them from first thousands to hundreds of km. All ion-cyclotron wave packets detected by two-three probes were observed at crossing one and the same latitude, which manifests their narrow localization in latitude with a characteristic scale from the first tens to 100 km. In no event IC waves were recorded with comparable amplitudes by all three satellites. At the same time, in the case of ST-5 flight near the ground-based induction magnetometer, a long emission in the same frequency range on the ground corresponded to a burst of IC waves in the topside ionosphere. This can indicate to the fact that an IC instability develops not continuously, but in the pulsing regime with a characteristic time of up to ∼10 min. A change in the rotation direction when a satellite crosses the wave structure is a characteristic feature of the polarization structure of registered transverse waves. The detected effects are discussed from the point of view of the existing models of generation and waveguide propagation of IC waves.     

基于改进二维分形海面模型的分层海面电磁散射分析

用微扰法研究了平面波入射分层介质粗糙面的电磁散射。由改进的二维分形海面模型模拟实际的分层海面,导出了平面波入射时的散射系数计算公式。通过数值计算获得了不同散射角的HH极化双站散射系数,并讨论了中间介质介电常数与厚度、摩擦风速和入射波频率对双站散射系数的影响,得到改进的二维分形分层海面散射系数的基本特征、分区特征和随频率变化的特征。结果表明：散射系数近似具有＂量子化＂特征。