Optical evidence of energetic particle precipitation caused by artificial VLF transmissions
Abstract
Deployment of optical equipment during a experimental campaign in January 2012 has revealed evidence of energetic particle precipitation into the atmosphere following the transmission of VLF radio signals from the JXN transmitter in northern Norway (16.4 KHz, ~150 kW, 67.0N, 13.9E). The precipitation occurred within 1-2 seconds of the turn-on of the transmitter and is detected at 10 Hz temporal resolution using a dedicated optical system located ~30 km away from JXN using a 427.8 nm filter (BW = 10 nm) and 30-degree field of view pointing vertically. We present a summary of the experiment and our results which provides evidence linking artificial VLF transmissions to the precipitation of energetic electrons into the atmosphere. We estimate the distance along the local magnetic field line to the probable interaction region, and estimate the transit times for 16.4 KHz signals to the interaction region and for scattered electrons down to the atmosphere.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012AGUFMSA12A..05D
- Keywords:
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- 2403 IONOSPHERE / Active experiments;
- 2720 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS / Energetic particles: trapped;
- 2774 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS / Radiation belts