Abstract
Low frequency electromagnetic lower hybrid waves (so-called hybrid whistlers) propagating nearly transverse to the magnetic field can be driven unstable by a resonant interaction with ‘halo’ electron distributions carrying solar wind heat flux. The electromagnetic lower hybrid instability is excited when the ‘halo’ electron drift exceeds the parallel phase velocity of the wave. The growth rate attains a maxima at a certain value of the wavenumber. The maximum growth rate decrease by an increase in β⊥e (the ratio of electron pressure to magnetic field pressure) and ‘halo’ electron temperature anisotropy. At 0.3 AU the growth time of the electromagnetic lower hybrid instability is of the order of 25 ms or shorter, whereas the most unstable wavelengths associated with the instability fall typically in a range of 27 to 90 km. The instability would give rise to a local heating of solar wind ions and electrons in the perpendicular and parallel directions relative to the magnetic field, B0. The observations of low frequency whistlers having high values ofB/E ratios (B andE being the magnitude of the wave magnetic and electric field, respectively) and propagating at large oblique angles to B0 behind interplanetary shocks, can be satisfactorily explained in terms of electromagnetic lower hybrid instability. The instability is also relevant to the generation mechanism of correlated whistler and electron plasma oscillation bursts detected on ISEE-3.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Akhiezer, A. I., Akhiezer, I. A., Polovin, R. V., Sitenko, A. G., and Stepanov, K. N.: 1975,Plasma Electrodynamics, Vol. 1, Pergamon Press, New York, p. 291.
Bame, S. J., Asbridge, J. R., Feldman, W. C., Gary, S. P., and Montgomery, M. D.: 1975,Geophys. Res. Letters 2, 373.
Beinroth, H. J. and Neubauer, F. M.: 1981,J. Geophys. Res. 86, 7755.
Coroniti, F. V., Kennel, C. F., Scarf, F. L., Dum, C. T., Marsch, E., Pilipp, W., and Gurnett, D. A.: 1981, in H. Rosenbauer (ed.),Solar Wind Four, Rep. MPAE-W-100-81-31, Max-Planck Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, F.R.G.
Feldman, W. C., Asbridge, J. R., Bame, S. J., Montgomery, M. D., and Gary, S. P.: 1975J. Geophys. Res. 80, 4181.
Gurnett, D. A. and Frank, L. A.: 1978,J. Geophys. Res. 83, 58.
Gurnett, D. A., Marsch, E., Pilipp, W., Schwenn, R., and Rosenbauer, H.: 1979,J. Geophys. Res. 84, 2029.
Kennel, C. F., Scarf, F. L., Coroniti, F. V., Fredricks, R. W., Gurnett, D. A., and Smith, E. J.: 1980,Geophys. Res. Letters 7, 129.
Kennel, C. F., Scarf, F. L., and Coroniti, F. V.: 1982,J. Geophys. Res.,87, 17.
Lakhina, G. S.: 1981, in H. Rosenbauer (ed.),Solar Wind Four, Rep. MPAE-W-100-81-31, Max-Planck Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, F.R.G.
Lakhina, G. S.: 1979,Astrophys. Space Sci. 63, 511.
Marsch, E. and Chang, T.: 1982,Geophys. Res. Letters 9, 1155.
Marsch, E. and Chang, T.: 1983,J. Geophys. Res. 88, 6869.
Marsch, E., Muhlhauser, K. H., Schwenn, R., Rosenbauer, H., Philipp, W., and Neubauer, F.: 1982,J. Geophys. Res. 87, 52.
Revathy, P. and Lakhina, G. S.: 1977,J. Plasma Phys. 17, 133.
Scarf, F. L., Gurnett, D. A., and Kurth, W. S.: 1981, in H. Rosenbauer (ed.),Solar Wind Four, MPAE-W-100-81-31, Report Max-Planck Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, F.R.G.
Smith, E. J.: 1982,J. Geophys. Res. 87, 6029.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lakhina, G.S. Electromagnetic lower hybrid instability in the solar wind. Astrophys Space Sci 111, 325–334 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649972
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649972