Estimation of Magnetospheric Plasma Parameters from Whistlers Observed at Low Latitudes

Abstract

Whistler observations during nighttimes made at low latitude Indian ground stations Jammu (geomag. lat., 29°26'N; L = 1.17), Nainital (geomag. lat., 19°1'N; L = 1.16) and Varanasi (geomag. lat., 14°55'N; L = 1.11) are used to deduce electron temperatures and electric field in the vicinity of the magnetospheric equator. The accurate curve fitting and parameter estimation technique are used to compute nose frequency and equatorial electron densities from the dispersion measurements of short whistlers recorded at Jammu, Nainital and Varanasi. In this paper, our aim is to estimate the Magnetospheric electron temperatures and electric field from the dispersion analysis of short whistlers observed at low latitudes by using different methods. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results reported by other workers.

Share and Cite:

M. Altaf, M. Ahmad and J. Banday, "Estimation of Magnetospheric Plasma Parameters from Whistlers Observed at Low Latitudes," International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 3 No. 4, 2013, pp. 399-407. doi: 10.4236/ijaa.2013.34047.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] V. V. Somayajulu and B. A. P. Tantry, “Whistlers at Low Latitudes,” Indian Journal of Radio & Space Physics, Vol. 1, 1972, pp. 102-118.
[2] P. Chauhan and B. Singh, “High Dispersion Whistlers Observed at Agra Station (L = 1.15),” Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 40, No. 6, 1992, pp. 873-877.
[3] P. N. Khosa, Lalmani and K. Kishen, “An Analysis of Low Latitude Whistlers Observed at Nainital,” Indian Journal of Physics, Vol. 64B, No. 1, 1990, pp. 34-41.
[4] C. G. Park, “Methods of Determining Electron Concentration in the Magnetosphere from Nose Whistlers,” Tech. Rep. 3454-I, Stanford University, Stanford, 1972.
[5] C. G. Park and D. L. Carpenter, “Whistler Observations of the Interchange of Ionization between the Ionosphere and the Protonosphere,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 75, No. 22, 1970, pp. 4249-4260.
[6] S. S. Sazhin, M. Hayakawa and K. Bullough, “Whistler Diagnostic of Magnetospheric Parameters: A Review,” Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 10, No. 5, 1992, pp. 193-308.
[7] R. A. Helliwell, “Whistlers and Related Ionospheric Phenomena,” Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1965.
[8] C. G. Park, “Some Features of Plasma Disturbation in the Plasma Sphere Deduced from Antartic Whistlers,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 79, No. 1, 1974, pp. 169-173.
[9] G. P. Tarcsai, Szemeredy and L. Hegymegi, “Average Electron Density Profiles in the Plasmasphere between L = 1.14 and 3.2 Deduced from Whistlers,” Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 50, 1988. pp. 607-611.
[10] Lalmani, M. K. Babu, R. Kumar, R. Singh and A. K. Gwal, “An Explanation of Daytime Discrete VLF Emissions Observed at Jammu (L = 1.17) and Determination of Magnetospheric Parameters,” Indian Journal of Physics, Vol. 74B, No. 2, 2000, p. 117.
[11] D. L. Carpenter and C. G. Park, “On What Ionospheic Workers Should Know about the Plasmapouse and Plasmasphere,” Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics, Vol. 11, 1973, pp. 133-154.
[12] M. K. Andrews, “Night Time Radial Plasma Drifts and Coupling Fluxes at L=2.3 from Whistler Mode Measurements,” Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 28, No. 4, 1980, pp. 407-417.
[13] D. L. Carpenter and R. L. Smith, “Whistler Measurements of Electron Density in the Magnetosphere,” Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 2, No. 3, 1964, pp. 415-441.
[14] H. B. Liemohn and F. L. Scarf, “Exospheric Electron Temperatures from Nose Whistler Attenuation,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 67, No. 5, 1962, pp. 1785-1789.
[15] S. S. Sazhin, P. Bognar, A. J. Smith and G. Tarcsai, “Magnetospheric Electron Temperature Inferred from Whistler Dispersion Measurements,” Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 11, 1993, pp. 619-623.
[16] R. P. Singh, A. K. Singh and D. K. Singh, “Plasmaspheric Parameters as Determined from Whistler Spectrograms: A Review,” Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 60, No. 5, 1998, pp. 494-508.
[17] B. Singh and H. Hayakawa, “Propagation Mode of Lowand Very-Low-Latitude Whistlers,” Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 63, No. 11, 2001, pp. 1133-1147.
[18] R. P. Singh, K. Singh, A. K. Singh, D. Hamar and J. Lichenberger, “Matched Filtering Analysis of Diffuded Whistlers and Its Propagation Characteristics at Low Latitudes,” Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 68, 2006, pp. 710-714.
[19] G. Tarcsai, “Routine Whistler Analysis by Means of Accurate Curve Fitting,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 37, No. 11, 1975, pp. 1447-1457.
[20] R. P. Singh, D. K. Singh, A. K. Singh, D. Hamar and J. Lichenberger, “Application of Matched Filtering and Parameter Estimation Technique to Low Latitude Whistlers,” Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 61, No. 14, 1999, pp. 1081-1093.
[21] D. Hamar, G. Tarcsai, J. Lichtenberger, A. J. Smith and K. H. Yearby, “Fine Structure of Whistlers Recorded Digitally at Hally, Antarctica,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 52, No. 9, 1990, pp. 801-810.
[22] D. Hamar, Cs. Ferencz, J. Lichtenberger, G. Tarcsai, A. J. Smith and K. H. Yearby, “Trace Splitting of Whiltlers: A Signature of Fine Structure or Mode Fitting in Magnerospheric Ducts?” Radio Science, Vol. 27, No. 2, 1992, pp. 341-346.
[23] L. O. Hines, “The Upper Atmosphere in Motion,” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 89, No. 379, 1963, pp. 1-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/qj.49708937902
[24] K. Maeda and I. Kato, “Electrodynamics of the Ionosphere,” Space Science Reviews, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1966, pp. 57-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00179215
[25] Lalmani, R. Kumar, R. Singh and B. Singh, “Characteristics of the Observed Low Latitude Very Low Frequency Emission Periods and Whistler Mode Group Delay at Jammu,” Indian Journal of Radio & Space Physics, Vol. 30, 2001, pp. 214-216.
[26] M. Rao and Lalmani, “An Evaluation of Duct Life Times from Low Latitude Ground Observations of Whiltlers,” Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 23, No. 6, 1975, pp. 923-927.
[27] R. P. Singh, R. P. Patel, A. K. Singh, D. Hamar and J. Lichenberger, “Matched Filtering and Parameter Estimation Method and Analysis of Whistlers Recorded at Varanasi,” Pramana, Vol. 55, No. 5-6, 2000, pp. 685-691.
[28] M. J. Rycroft and A. Mathur, “The Determination of the Minimum Group Delay of a Non-Nose Whistlers,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 35, No. 12, 1997, pp. 2177-2182.
[29] D. Ho and L. C. Bernard, “A Fast Method to Determine the Nose Frequency and Minimum Group Delay of Whistlers When the Causative Spheric Is Unknown,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 35, No. 5, 1973, pp. 881-887.
[30] M. Hayakawa, Y. Tanaka, S. S. Sazhin, M. Tixiier and T. Okada, “Substorm-Associated VLF Emissions with Frequency Drift in the Premidnight Sector,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 93, 1988, pp. 5685-5700.
[31] R. L. Dowden and G. Mck Allcock, “Determination of Nose Frequency of Non-Nose Whistlers,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 33, No. 7, 1971, pp. 1125-1129.
[32] G. Tarcsai, Candidate of Science Thesis, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1981.
[33] J. J. Angerami, “Whistler Study of the Distribution of Thermal Electrons in the Magnetosphere,” Stanford University, Stanford, 1966.
[34] J. Mc Chesney and A. R. D. Hughes, “Temperature in the Plasmasphere Determined from VLF Observations,” Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 45, No. 1, 1983, pp. 33-39.
[35] F. L. Scarf, “Landau Damping and the Attenuation of Whistlers,” Physics of Fluids, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1962, pp. 6-13.
[36] H. B. Liemohn and F. L. Scarf, “Whistler Attenuation by Electron with an E?2.5 Distribution,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 67, No. 11, 1962, pp. 4163-4167.
[37] H. B. Liemohn and F. L. Scarf, “Whistler Determination of Electron Energy and Density Distribution in the Magnetosphere,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 69, No. 5, 1964, pp. 883-904.
[38] G. P. Serbu and E. J. R. Maier, “Low Energy Electrons Measured on IMP2,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 71, No. 15, 1966, pp. 3755-3766.
[39] Seely, “Whistler Propagation in a Distorted Quiet Time Model Magnetosphere N.T,” Tech. Rep. 3421-I, Stanford University, Stanford, 1977.
[40] H. Guthart, “Nose Whistler Dispersion as a Measure of Magnetospheric Electron Temperature,” Radio Science, Vol. 69D, 1965, pp. 1417-1424.
[41] V. V. Kobelev and S. S. Sazhin, “An Estimate of Magnetospheric Electron Temperature from the Whistler Spectrograms,” Journal of Technical Physics (Letters), Vol. 9, 1983, pp. 862-865.
[42] S. S. Sazhin, A. J. Smith and E. M. Sazhin, “Can Magnetospheric Electron Temperature Be Inferred from Whistler Dispersion Measurements,” Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 8, 1990, pp. 273-285.
[43] S. S. Sazhin, M. Hayakawa and K. Bullough, “Whistler Diagnostic of Magnetospheric Parameters: A Review,” Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 10, No. 5, 1992, pp. 293-308.
[44] S. S. Sazhin, P. Bognar, A. J. Smith and G. Tarcsai, “Magnetospheric Electron Temperatures Inferred from Whistler Dispersion Measurements,” Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 11, 1993, pp. 619-623.
[45] P. M. Decreau, C. Beghin and M. Parrot, “Global Characteristics of the Cold Plasma in the Equatorial Plasmapause Region as Deduced from the GEOS-I Mutual Impedance Probe,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 87, 1982, pp. 695-712.
[46] C. G. Park, D. L. Carpenter and D. B. Wiggin, “Electron Density in the Plasmasphere: Whistler Data on Solar Cycle Annual and Diurnal Variations,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 83, No. A7, 1978, pp. 3137-3144.

Copyright © 2023 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.