On the theory of the incoherent scatter gyrolines

Abstract

The incoherent scatter spectrum feature referred to as the “gyroline” is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The gyroline is associated with the dispersion relation for electrostatic whistler waves. Earlier treatments by Trulsen and Bj⊘rna (1978, and references therein) derive the frequency and growth rate for these waves, but their derivation is only accurate for very small magnetic aspect angles, i.e., for wave vectors close to perpendicular to the geomagnetic field. Their expression for the frequency has the form of a low-order Padé approximate, but we find that a simple formula of this kind accurate for arbitrary magnetic aspect angles does not exist. We therefore analyze the incoherent scatter gyroline feature computationally. The analysis is supported by range-resolved incoherent scatter spectrograms measured recently at Arecibo. The gyroline feature is shown to be strongest in the midlatitude E and valley regions where the electron temperature is low enough to avoid cyclotron damping.