A parametric study of electron multiharmonic instabilities in the magnetosphere
Abstract
We present numerical calculations of spatial growth rates of multiharmonic electron cyclotron instabilities driven by a loss cone energetic distribution, in the presence of colder electrons. When the cold electron density is comparable to the hot, nonconvective instability is possible in harmonic bands below or including the cold upper hybrid frequency. When the cold electron density is larger than the hot, nonconvective instability is possible only in that band containing the cold upper hybrid frequency. Increasing the cold electron temperature in relation to the hot eventually removes all nonconvective behavior. Convective instability is still possible above the cold upper hybrid frequency.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Geophysical Research
- Pub Date:
- November 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1029/JA084iA11p06540
- Bibcode:
- 1979JGR....84.6540A
- Keywords:
-
- Cold Plasmas;
- Electron Distribution;
- Electron Energy;
- Harmonic Analysis;
- Magnetospheric Instability;
- Cyclotron Frequency;
- Distribution Functions;
- Energy Dissipation;
- Group Velocity;
- Hot Electrons;
- Ionospheric Electron Density;
- Plasma Density;
- Plasma Loss;
- Spatial Distribution