Very low frequency EM wave studies of transient luminous events in the lower ionosphere

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Mika
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 991-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Manninen ◽  
N. G. Kleimenova ◽  
A. Kozlovsky ◽  
I. A. Kornilov ◽  
L. I. Gromova ◽  
...  

Abstract. We investigate a non-typical very low frequency (VLF) 1–4 kHz hiss representing a sequence of separated noise bursts with a strange "mushroom-like" shape in the frequency–time domain, each one lasting several minutes. These strange afternoon VLF emissions were recorded at Kannuslehto (KAN, ϕ = 67.74° N, λ = 26.27° E; L ∼ 5.5) in northern Finland during the late recovery phase of the small magnetic storm on 8 December 2013. The left-hand (LH) polarized 2–3 kHz "mushroom caps" were clearly separated from the right-hand (RH) polarized "mushroom stems" at the frequency of about 1.8–1.9 kHz, which could match the lower ionosphere waveguide cutoff (the first transverse resonance of the Earth–ionosphere cavity). We hypothesize that this VLF burst sequence could be a result of the modulation of the VLF hiss electron–cyclotron instability from the strong Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations observed simultaneously at ground-based stations as well as in the inner magnetosphere by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission probe (THEMIS-E; ThE). This assumption is confirmed by a similar modulation of the intensity of the energetic (1–10 keV) electrons simultaneously observed by the same ThE spacecraft. In addition, the data of the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) radar at Tromsø show a similar quasi-periodicity in the ratio of the Hall-to-Pedersen conductance, which may be used as a proxy for the energetic particle precipitation enhancement. Our findings suggest that this strange mushroom-like shape of the considered VLF hiss could be a combined mutual effect of the magnetospheric ULF–VLF (ultra low frequency–very low frequency) wave interaction and the ionosphere waveguide propagation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-394
Author(s):  
Emilia Correia ◽  
Luis Tiago Medeiros Raunheitte ◽  
José Valentin Bageston ◽  
Dino Enrico D'Amico

Abstract. The goal of this work is to investigate the gravity wave (GW) characteristics in the low ionosphere using very low frequency (VLF) radio signals. The spatial modulations produced by the GWs affect the conditions of the electron density at reflection height of the VLF signals, which produce fluctuations of the electrical conductivity in the D region that can be detected as variations in the amplitude and phase of VLF narrowband signals. The analysis considered the VLF signal transmitted from the US Cutler, Maine (NAA) station that was received at Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Station (EACF, 62.1∘ S, 58.4∘ W), with its great circle path crossing the Drake Passage longitudinally. The wave periods of the GWs detected in the low ionosphere are obtained using the wavelet analysis applied to the VLF amplitude. Here the VLF technique was used as a new aspect for monitoring GW activity. It was validated comparing the wave period and duration properties of one GW event observed simultaneously with a co-located airglow all-sky imager both operating at EACF. The statistical analysis of the seasonal variation of the wave periods detected using VLF technique for 2007 showed that the GW events occurred all observed days, with the waves with a period between 5 and 10 min dominating during night hours from May to September, while during daytime hours the waves with a period between 0 and 5 min are predominant the whole year and dominate all days from November to April. These results show that VLF technique is a powerful tool to obtain the wave period and duration of GW events in the low ionosphere, with the advantage of being independent of sky conditions, and it can be used during the whole day and year-round.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 969-981
Author(s):  
Shufan Zhao ◽  
XuHui Shen ◽  
Zeren Zhima ◽  
Chen Zhou

Abstract. Earthquakes may disturb the lower ionosphere through various coupling mechanisms during the seismogenic and coseismic periods. The VLF (very low-frequency) signal radiated from ground-based transmitters will be affected when it penetrates the disturbed ionosphere above the epicenter area, and this anomaly can be recorded by low-Earth orbit satellites under certain conditions. In this paper, the temporal and spatial variation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the VLF transmitter signal in the ionosphere over the epicenter of 2010 Yushu Ms 7.1 earthquake in China is analyzed using DEMETER (Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emission Transmitted from Earthquake Regions) satellite observation. The results show that SNR over the epicenter of the Yushu earthquake especially in the southwestern region decreased (or dropped) before the main shock, and a GPS–TEC (Global Positioning System; total electron content) anomaly accompanied, which implies that the decrease in SNR might be caused by the enhancement of TEC. A full-wave method is used to study the mechanism of the change in SNR before the earthquake. The simulated results show SNR does not always decrease before an earthquake. When the electron density in the lower ionosphere increases by 3 times, the electric field will decrease about 2 dB, indicating that the disturbed-electric-field decrease of 20 % compared with the original electric field and vice versa. It can be concluded that the variation of electron density before earthquakes may be one of the important factors influencing the variation of SNR.


2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Author(s):  
Hamid M. K. Al-Naimiy ◽  
Ala A. J. Al-Douri ◽  
Abdalla A. Alnajjar ◽  
Umran Inan

The characteristics of radio waves of low and very low frequency reflected from numerical models of electron density and collision frequency are calculated by the methods described in the preceding paper (Pitteway 1964). The models used are based on those found by cross-modulation experiments and approximate to those likely to be found in the ionosphere. The effects of changing the models are investigated with the object of developing methods of solving the inverse problem of deducing the ionization structure from the experimental data on long and very long wave propagation. The relations between the computed and observed characteristics are examined in a preliminary way.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document