Fundamental Wave-Plasma Processes
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Communications Systems
Abstract
The Earth possesses a magnetic field very similar in shape to the magnetic field produced by a simple bar magnet. Magnetic field lines emerge from the planet at one magnetic pole and extend out of the atmosphere, thousands of kilometres into space, before returning to the magnetic pole in the opposite hemisphere. Rather than being a vacuum, the region of space that these field lines pass through is filled with plasma / an electrically conducting gas made up charged particles. Most of these particles originate in the Earth's atmosphere having been produced by ultraviolet sunlight which ionises gases in the high altitude atmosphere / a region known as the ionosphere. The Sun also possesses a strong magnetic field. As nuclear processes generate energy in the solar interior, the outer layer of the solar atmosphere expands outwards through the solar system forming the solar wind. When the solar wind arrives at the Earth it collides with the planet's magnetic field and is diverted around the planet. The cavity carved out of the solar wind by the Earth's magnetic field is called the magnetosphere. Inside the magnetosphere the plasma and magnetic field generally originate mainly from the Earth. Outside of the magnetosphere, they originate from the Sun. These regions are not always strictly separated and this leads to electromagnetic interactions between our planet and its nearest star. The ionosphere has a major influence on radio waves passing through it while some of the high energy particles that originate from the solar wind become trapped in radiation belts surrounding our planet at distances between 20,000-60,000 km / the part of space occupied by many Earth-orbiting satellites. At high latitudes, charged particles can escape from the radiation belts into precipitate into the upper atmosphere where they excite atmospheric gases to form the aurora borealis (i.e. the 'northern lights'). Clearly, this sun-earth connectivity not only leads to beautiful natural phenomena but also impacts upon the man-made technologies on which we depend. Approximately 99% of universe is estimated to be plasma. In this respect, the solar wind, the magnetosphere and the ionosphere are not exotic. However, plasma does not exist naturally on the surface of the Earth. Therefore, if we are to fully understand how plasma (and therefore most of the universe) behaves we need to exploit the natural plasma laboratory the surrounds our planet. Some of the biggest mysteries surround the interaction of plasmas and electromagnetic waves. For example, wave-plasma interactions (WPI) are thought to be responsible for many of the processes that cause cold plasma to be energised. These include the formation of the Earth's radiation belts or the acceleration of plasmas that cause the aurora and can damage satellites. However, the mechanisms are poorly understood. In a terrestrial setting, wave-particle interactions are frequently used as an energisation mechanism within particle accelerators. Artificially-created and confined plasmas heated by WPI lie at the heart of experimental fusion reactors that offer the hope of clean energy in the future. Clearly, an improved understanding of wave-plasma interactions is vitally important. A five-year programme of research is outlined. It's primary aim is to address this universally relevant physical process. By examining WPI in more accessible regions close to the Earth, where data are abundant, we can extrapolate results to the wider solar system and the universe as a whole. The components of the programme address the physical processes connected with WPI by means of: (a) detailed active experimentation by stimulating WPI processes artificially, (b) measurement and analysis of naturally WPI signatures at a range of spatial scales, (c) theoretical modelling of WPI processes, and (d) exploring WPI processes in different geophysical regions.
Publications
Anderson C.
(2009)
Thermospheric winds and temperatures above Mawson, Antarctica, observed with an all-sky imaging, Fabry-Perot spectrometer
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Beharrell M
(2008)
A new method for deducing the effective collision frequency profile in the D-region
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Beharrell M
(2010)
On the origin of high m magnetospheric waves ORIGIN OF HIGH m WAVES
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Borisov N
(2008)
Excitation and trapping of lower hybrid waves in striations
in Physics of Plasmas
Borisov N
(2008)
Trapping of lower hybrid waves in elongated plasma depletions in the Earth's ionosphere
in Physics Letters A
Cannon P
(2015)
A GPU-Accelerated Finite-Difference Time-Domain Scheme for Electromagnetic Wave Interaction With Plasma
in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation
Cannon Patrick
(2016)
Numerical simulation of wave-plasma interactions in the ionosphere
Enell C. -F.
(2008)
Case study of the mesospheric and lower thermospheric effects of solar X-ray flares:: coupled ion-neutral modelling and comparison with EISCAT and riometer measurements
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Fukuyama A
(2010)
Unstable Rayleigh-Taylor modes in the ionosphere in the presence of dusts
in Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids
Füllekrug M
(2012)
Energetic Charged Particles Above Thunderclouds
in Surveys in Geophysics
Grill M
(2010)
A flexible streaming software architecture for scientific instruments
in Earth Science Informatics
Guo Z
(2021)
Determine the Physical Mechanism and Source Region of Beat Wave Modulation by Changing the Frequency of HF Waves
in Chinese Physics B
Gustavsson B
(2008)
Combined EISCAT radar and optical multispectral and tomographic observations of black aurora
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Gustavsson B
(2010)
Rise and fall of electron temperatures: Ohmic heating of ionospheric electrons from underdense HF radio wave pumping
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Gustavsson B
(2009)
First observations of X-mode suppression of O-mode HF enhancements at 6300 Å
in Geophysical Research Letters
Honary F
(2011)
Invited article: Digital beam-forming imaging riometer systems.
in The Review of scientific instruments
Honary F
(2011)
Temporal development of the magnetic zenith effect MAGNETIC ZENITH EFFECT
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Honary Farideh
(2014)
Space Weather effects on airline communications in the high latitude regions
in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Kale Z
(2009)
Plasmaspheric dynamics resulting from the Hallowe'en 2003 geomagnetic storms
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Kavanagh A
(2012)
Key features of >30 keV electron precipitation during high speed solar wind streams: A superposed epoch analysis >30 KEV ELECTRON PRECIPITATION DURING HSS
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Kavanagh A. J.
(2009)
Observations of omega bands using an imaging riometer
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Kellerman A. C.
(2009)
On the relationship between auroral absorption, electrojet currents and plasma convection
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Kosch M
(2010)
First observations of simultaneous interhemispheric conjugate high-latitude thermospheric winds
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Kosch M
(2010)
First E region observations of mesoscale neutral wind interaction with auroral arcs
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Kosch M
(2009)
First incoherent scatter radar observations of ionospheric heating on the second electron gyro-harmonic
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Kosch M
(2010)
An analysis of pump-induced artificial ionospheric ion upwelling at EISCAT
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Kosch MJ
(2009)
Wide angle mirror system design for distortionless imaging of the sky.
in Applied optics
Kurihara J
(2009)
Temperature enhancements and vertical winds in the lower thermosphere associated with auroral heating during the DELTA campaign
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Longden N
(2008)
Particle precipitation during ICME-driven and CIR-driven geomagnetic storms
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Mann I
(2013)
Discovery of the action of a geophysical synchrotron in the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts
in Nature Communications
Meggs R
(2008)
GPS scintillation over the European Arctic during the November 2004 storms
in GPS Solutions
Milan S. E.
(2008)
D region HF radar echoes associated with energetic particle precipitation and pulsating aurora
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Morioka A
(2012)
Fundamental characteristics of field-aligned auroral acceleration derived from AKR spectra
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Morioka A
(2010)
Two-step evolution of auroral acceleration at substorm onset
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Morioka A
(2011)
On the simultaneity of substorm onset between two hemispheres ON THE SIMULTANEITY OF SUBSTORM ONSET
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Morioka A
(2008)
AKR breakup and auroral particle acceleration at substorm onset
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Morioka A.
(2009)
Vertical evolution of auroral acceleration at substorm onset
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Mutiso C
(2008)
Previously unreported optical emissions generated during ionospheric heating
in Geophysical Research Letters
Rae I
(2012)
Ground-based magnetometer determination of in situ Pc4-5 ULF electric field wave spectra as a function of solar wind speed
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Ritchie S
(2009)
Observed characteristics of sudden commencement absorption
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Ritchie S
(2009)
Observations on the variability and screening effect of Sporadic-E
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Ritchie S
(2009)
Storm sudden commencement and its effect on high-latitude HF communication links
in Space Weather
Routledge G
(2011)
A statistical survey of electron temperature enhancements in heater modulated polar mesospheric summer echoes at EISCAT
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Safargaleev V.
(2010)
Geomagnetic disturbances on ground associated with particle precipitation during SC
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
Sen S
(2010)
Rayleigh Taylor instability in a dusty plasma
in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Sen S
(2010)
ITG modes in the presence of inhomogeneous field-aligned flow
in Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids
Senior A
(2011)
Measurements and modeling of cosmic noise absorption changes due to radio heating of the D region ionosphere IMAGING RIOMETRY OF D REGION HEATING
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Senior A
(2010)
Diagnosing radio plasma heating in the polar summer mesosphere using cross modulation: Theory and observations
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Senior A
(2008)
High-frequency magnetospheric sounding at EISCAT: Some trials and their implications
in Radio Science
Senior A.
(2008)
Comparison of methods to determine auroral ionospheric conductances using ground-based optical and riometer data
in ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE
| Description | We have developed the first digital imaging Riometers for measuring particle precipitation into the atmosphere. We have developed models to produce global maps of particle precipitations to be used in atmospheric models and HF communications models. We have utilised the ionosphere as a natural plasma laboratory for the investigation of wave particle and wave-wave interactions. Our numerical simulations have revealed how the mode coupling can explain the plasma heating and generation of field aligned striations in ionospheric heating experiments. |
| Exploitation Route | Our technology development for digital imaging riometers has already been taken up by other institutions worldwide who have requested a similar systems to be designed and constructed for their operation in Arctic and Antarctic. Our simulation work on electromagnetic interactions with plasma is a modular code based on GPU and can be used for modelling many plasma interactions. Similar packages are now used by industry, which are not as comprehensive as our code. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Description | Our pioneering work on the design and construction of digital imaging riometers has resulted in grants from China, India and Norway for the construction of similar systems. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | EC |
| Amount | £265,286 (GBP) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 12/2008 |
| End | 12/2010 |
| Description | Ionospheric modification |
| Organisation | Russian Academy of Sciences |
| Department | Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Achieving Leverhulme Trust funds for visiting scientists producing joint publication |
| Collaborator Contribution | joint publications |
| Impact | N. Borisov and F. Honary. Excitation and Trapping of Lower Hybrid Waves in Striations. Physics of Plasmas. ISSN 1070-664X. 15(122901). doi:10.1063/1.3035910. 3rd December 2008. Trapping of lower hybrid waves in elongated plasma depletions in the Earth's ionosphere. Borisov N., Honary F., Physics Letters A (2007), doi: 10.1016/j.physleta.2007.11.054. Stationary state and relaxation of artificial irregularities excited in heating experiments. Borisov N., Senior A., Honary F., J.Plasma Phys., 2005, 71, 315-334. |