Journal article
Whistler mode emissions in the Uranian radiation belts
Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol.92(A13), pp.15234-15248
12/30/1987
DOI: 10.1029/JA092iA13p15234
Abstract
Voyager 2 detected intense whistler mode emissions and fluxes of energetic electrons during the outbound pass through the region of auroral L shells. The observed energetic (E greater than 22 keV) electron distribution, a model warm (E less than 27.5 keV) electron distribution, and the cold plasma density profile deduced by Kurth et al. (1987) are used to calculate the ray path-integrated spatial amplification of whistlers which arrive at Voyager 2 from the magnetic equator. By matching the calculated amplification and the relative gains at different frequencies deduced from the observed whistler power spectrum, the pitch angle anisotropy parameters of the electron distributions are determined to within a fairly narrow range of values. The estimated bounce average pitch angle diffusion coefficient indicates that electrons are on strong diffusion over a wide range in energies. The electron precipitation energy flux is sufficient to produce the observed auroral light emissions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Whistler mode emissions in the Uranian radiation belts
- Creators
- F. V. CoronitiW. S. Kurth - Iowa, UniversityF. L. Scarf - California UnivC. F. Kennel - TRW, IncS. M. Krimigis - Johns Hopkins University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol.92(A13), pp.15234-15248
- DOI
- 10.1029/JA092iA13p15234
- ISSN
- 0148-0227
- eISSN
- 2156-2202
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/30/1987
- Description audience
- PUBLIC
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455752802771
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