On the wave-particle interaction and removal of energetic particles

There is always a risk of destruction of man-made satellites by the energetic electrons trapped in Van Allen radiation belts in space. These energetic electrons also pose a biological danger to astronauts. The cyclotron resonance interaction is studied between the whistler-mode waves in the frequency range of ELF (Extremely Low Frequency 300 – 3000 HZ) and VLF (Very Low Frequency 3 – 30 kHz) propagating along geomagnetic field line and counter streaming energetic electron. During this process the pitch angle of energetic electrons reduces. This results in the dumping of these electrons into the lower ionosphere. This makes electrons unable to strike the satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit, Geosynchronous, Sun-synchronous or polar orbit. It is shown that the lifetime values of energetic electrons vary from 2.03 to 227.68 hours at low latitudes. It is shown that these waves can remove these energetic electrons from their path and ensure the safety of satellites.

On the Geomagnetic Field Line Resonance Eigenfrequency Variations during Seismic Event

In this paper, we report high statistical evidence for a seismo–ionosphere effects occurring in conjunction with an earthquake. This finding supports a lithosphere-magnetosphere coupling mechanism producing a plasma density variation along the magnetic field lines, mechanically produced by atmospheric acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) impinging the ionosphere. We have analysed a large sample of earthquakes (EQ) using ground magnetometers data: in 28 of 42 analysed case events, we detect a temporary stepwise decrease (Δf) of the magnetospheric field line resonance (FLR) eigenfrequency (f*). Δf decreases of ∼5–25 mHz during ∼20–35 min following the time of the EQ. We present an analytical model for f*, able to reproduce the behaviour observed during the EQ. Our work is in agreement with recent results confirming co-seismic direct coupling between lithosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere opening the way to new remote sensing methods, from space/ground, of the earth seismic activity.

Global Study of Human Heart Rhythm Synchronization with the Earth’s Time Varying Magnetic Field

Changes in geomagnetic conditions have been shown to affect the rhythms produced by the brain and heart and that human autonomic nervous system activity reflected in heart rate variability (HRV) over longer time periods can synchronize to changes in the amplitude of resonant frequencies produced by geomagnetic field-line and Schumann resonances. During a 15-day period, 104 participants located in California, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and England underwent continuous ambulatory HRV monitoring. The local time varying magnetic field (LMF) intensity was obtained using a time synchronized and calibrated network of magnetometers located at five monitoring sites in the same geographical locations as the participant groups. This paper focuses on the results of an experiment conducted within the larger study where all of the participants simultaneously did a heart-focused meditation called a Heart Lock-In (HLI) for a 15-min period. The participant’s level of HRV coherence and HRV synchronization to each other before, during and after the HLI and the synchronization between participants’ HRV and local time varying magnetic field power during each 24-h period were computed for each participant and group with near-optimal chaotic attractor embedding techniques. In analysis of the participants HRV coherence before, during and after the HLI, most of the groups showed significantly increased coherence during the HLI period. The pairwise heart rhythm synchronization between participants’ in each group was assessed by determining the Euclidean distance of the optimal time lag vectors of each participant to all other participants in their group. The group member’s heart rhythms were significantly more synchronized with each other during the HLI period in all the groups. The participants’ daily LMF-HRV-synchronization was calculated for each day over an 11-day period, which provided a 5-day period before, the day of and 5-days after the HLI day. The only day where all the groups HRV was positively correlated with the LMF was on the day of the HLI and the synchronization between the HRV and LMF for all the groups was significantly higher than most of the other days.

ULTRA LOW FREQUENCY EMISSIONS RANGING FROM 0.1 TO 3 Hz IN CIRCUMPOLAR AREAS

We examine the characteristics of oscillations of two types in the high-frequency edge of the ULF range (0.1–3 Hz), serpentine emission (SE), and discrete frequency dispersed signals (DS). Oscillations of both the types are observed in the polar caps exclusively with induction magnetometers. Since these instruments are currently practically absent at high latitudes, the analysis has been carried out from records obtained at the stations Vostok and Thule close to the geomagnetic poles in 1968–1971. The DS occurrence rate is shown to have a sharp peak at local magnetic noon. This fact indicates that DS emergence is rigidly tied to the geomagnetic field line passing through the observation station. At the same time, the seasonal variation in the frequency of DS occurrence has a main peak in local summer and an additional peak in local winter. We have revealed before that at least a part of DS is excited in the foreshock region. Taking this into account, we can assume that the wave packets incident to the magnetopause fall on the external field lines mainly in the noon region and propagate along these lines in both directions, eventually reaching Earth’s surface in the polar regions. Unlike DS, the SE occurrence rate has neither a daily nor a seasonal variation. We have tested and confirmed indirectly the hypothesis put forward earlier about the excitation of SE by cyclotron instability of protons in the solar wind, simulating frequency variations in ion-cyclotron waves at different levels of interplanetary plasma perturbation and comparing the results with the SE frequency variations observed under similar conditions. We conclude that it is necessary to resume continuous observations of ULF emissions, using induction magnetometers installed in polar caps near the projections of cusps and near geomagnetic poles.

ULTRA LOW FREQUENCY EMISSIONS RANGING FROM 0.1 TO 3 Hz IN CIRCUMPOLAR AREAS

We examine the characteristics of oscillations of two types in the high-frequency edge of the ULF range (0.1–3 Hz), serpentine emission (SE), and discrete frequency dispersed signals (DS). Oscillations of both the types are observed in the polar caps exclusively with induction magnetometers. Since these instruments are currently practically absent at high latitudes, the analysis has been carried out from records obtained at the stations Vostok and Thule close to the geomagnetic poles in 1968–1971. The DS occurrence rate is shown to have a sharp peak at local magnetic noon. This fact indicates that DS emergence is rigidly tied to the geomagnetic field line passing through the observation station. At the same time, the seasonal variation in the frequency of DS occurrence has a main peak in local summer and an additional peak in local winter. We have revealed before that at least a part of DS is excited in the foreshock region. Taking this into account, we can assume that the wave packets incident to the magnetopause fall on the external field lines mainly in the noon region and propagate along these lines in both directions, eventually reaching Earth’s surface in the polar regions. Unlike DS, the SE occurrence rate has neither a daily nor a seasonal variation. We have tested and confirmed indirectly the hypothesis put forward earlier about the excitation of SE by cyclotron instability of protons in the solar wind, simulating frequency variations in ion-cyclotron waves at different levels of interplanetary plasma perturbation and comparing the results with the SE frequency variations observed under similar conditions. We conclude that it is necessary to resume continuous observations of ULF emissions, using induction magnetometers installed in polar caps near the projections of cusps and near geomagnetic poles.