Excitation of extremely low-frequency chorus emissions:The role of background plasma density

(整期优先)网络出版时间:2019-01-11
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Low-frequencychorusemissionshaverecentlyattractedmuchattentionduetothesuggestionthattheymayplayimportantrolesinthedynamicsoftheVanAllenBelts.However,themechanism(s)generatingtheselow-frequencychorusemissionshavenotbeenwellunderstood.Inthisletter,wereportaninterestingcaseinwhichbackgroundplasmadensityloweredthelowercutofffrequencyofchorusemissionsfromabove0.1fce(typicalordinarychorus)to0.02fce(extremelylow-frequencychorus).Thoseextremelylow-frequencychoruswaveswereobservedinaratherdenseplasma,wherethenumberdensityNewasfoundtobeseveraltimeslargerthanhasbeenassociatedwithobservationsofordinarychoruswaves.Forsuprathermalelectronswhosefreeenergyissuppliedbyanisotropictemperatures,lineargrowthrates(calculatedusingin-situplasmaparametersmeasuredbytheVanAllenProbes)showthatwhistlermodeinstabilitycanoccuratfrequenciesbelow0.1fcewhenthebackgroundplasmadensityNeincreases.EspeciallywhenNereaches90cm^-3ormore,thelowestunstablefrequencycanextendto0.02fceorevenless,whichisconsistentwithsatelliteobservations.Therefore,ourresultsdemonstratethatadensebackgroundplasmacouldplayanessentialroleintheexcitationofextremelylowfrequencychoruswavesbycontrollingthewavegrowthrates.