Dual-beam ELF wave generation as a function of power, frequency, modulation waveform, and receiver location

摘要

Dual-beam ELF wave generation experiments performed at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) HF transmitter are used to investigate the dependence of the generated ELF wave magnitude on HF power, HF frequency, modulation waveform, and receiver location. During the experiments, two HF beams transmit simultaneously: one amplitude modulated (AM) HF beam modulates the conductivity of the lower ionosphere at ELF frequencies while a second HF beam broadcasts a continuous waveform (CW) signal, modifying the efficiency of ELF conductivity modulation and thereby the efficiency of ELF wave generation. We report experimental results for different ambient ionospheric conditions, and we interpret the observations in the context of a newly developed dual-beam HF heating model. A comparison between model predictions and experimental observations indicates that the theoretical model includes the essential physics involved in multifrequency HF heating of the lower ionosphere. In addition to the HF transmission parameters mentioned above, the model is used to predict the dependence of ELF wave magnitude on the polarization of the CW beam and on the modulation frequency of the modulated beam. We consider how these effects vary with ambient D-region electron density and electron temperature.