Journal articles:

J. F. Bamber, W. Gekelman, J. E. Maggs
Whistler wave mode conversion to lower hyrbid waves at a density striation Physical Review Letters, volume 73, Nov., 1994, 2990-2993

The first observation of mode conversion of whistler waves to lower hybrid waves at a density striation has been made in a laboratory plasma. The observed lower hybrid wavelength is consistent with that predicted by linear mode coupling. The lower hybrid waves have amplitudes up to 20% of the incident whistler waves.

J. F. Bamber, J.E. Maggs, W. Gekelman
Whistler Wave Interaction with a Density Striation: A Laboratory Investigation of an Auroral Process
Journal of Geophysical Research,100 ,pp 23,795-23,810 (1995)


Whistler waves are launched toward a field-aligned density striation in a laboratory plasma. Characteristic scale length and frequency ratios are scaled so as to closely reproduce situations found in the auroral ionosphere. Detailed measurements show that at the striation edge nearest the wave-launching antenna, besides a reflected and a transmitted whistler wave, lower hybrid waves are also stimulated on both sides of the striation boundary in a manner consistent with the linear mode-conversion model. We find that the energy density of the mode-converted lower hybrid waves is almost 20% of the incident whistler wave energy density. The interaction takes place wherever the incident wave vector has a component perpendicular to the striation surface. Lower hybrid waves are confined to within 2-3 perpendicular wavelengths in the interaction zone. Our results show that the interaction of electromagnetic whistler mode waves with density striations can cause significant amounts of energy to be deposited in the largely electrostatic lower hybrid mode and that it may, therefore, be a significant generation mechanism for these waves in certain regions of the ionosphere.

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