A technique for detecting auroral plasma oscillations

[摘要] An instrument designed to measure AC electric fields associated with plasma density fluctuations has been developed and flown into a turbulent auroral ionosphere aboard a sounding rocket. The instrument incorporates an antenna system with a swept frequency spectrum analyzer having a frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz. Laboratory calibration has produced an input/output response for measuring uniform electric fields with field strengths in the range of approximately 5-15 volts/meter. Theoretical considerations suggest that a turbulent auroral plasma may contain large density waves with field strengths within the instrument's operational range. However, preliminary results from a flight into active aurora indicate no field enhancement above detection threshold at the expected plasma frequency.

[发布机构] Rice University