Nonlinear plasma wave processes observed in the polar cusp

Jan Błęcki (1) , Roman Wronowski (1) , Michel Parrot (2) , Sergey Savin (3)

1 CBK - Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences
2 LPCE - Laboratoire de physique et chimie de l'environnement
3 IKI - Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

We present observations of electric and magnetic field variations from proton (about few Hz) to electron cyclotron frequencies (about few kHz) obtained by STAFF instrument on Cluster satellites during two cusp crossings, at ∼6 R E altitude, in September 2002. The cusp was identified by the presence of intensive fluxes of counter streaming electrons with low energies and broadband wave activity which is typical for this region. Special attention is given for the interval of measurements when the waveform of the magnetic field fluctuations was taken in this region by CLUSTER satellites. The wave has been processed using the wavelet and bispectral analysis. Results showing the cascade of turbulence and wave-wave interactions are presented in this paper. A three wave process can be responsible for the broadening of the wave spectra in the polar cusp.

Keywords: polar cusp three waves processes cascade of the energy wavelet analysis bispectral analysis

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]

Jan Błęcki, Roman Wronowski, Michel Parrot, Sergey Savin. Nonlinear plasma wave processes observed in the polar cusp. Acta Geophysica, 2007, 55 (4), pp.459-468. ⟨10.2478/s11600-007-0034-2⟩. ⟨insu-03218460⟩