Growth of a Whistler Mode (IMAGE)

American Institute of Physics

Growth of a Whistler Mode

Caption

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles present research on a curious cosmic phenomenon known as "whistlers" -- very low frequency packets of radio waves that race along magnetic field lines. Appearing in the Physics of Plasmas, the study provides new insights into the nature of whistlers and space plasmas and could one day aid in the development of practical plasma technologies with magnetic fields, including spacecraft thrusters that use charged particles as fuel. This image shows the growth of a whistler mode with circular phase front and cross-field propagation.

Credit

Reiner Stenzel and Manuel Urrutia

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