Analysis of the turbulence observed in the outer cusp turbulent boundary layer

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 30; no. 12; pp. 2809 - 2814
• Main Authors: Pickett, J.S, Menietti, J.D, Hospodarsky, G.B, Gurnett, D.A, Stasiewicz, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2002
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/S0273-1177(02)80418-5

One of the prominent features of the cusp Turbulent Boundary Layer (TBL) is a persistent low frequency electromagnetic turbulence that extends from <1Hz up to the electron cyclotron frequency, accompanied by what appears to be purely electrostatic noise above this frequency range. The Plasma Wave Instrument onboard Polar obtained plasma wave measurements in the cusp TBL in the form of waveform captures simultaneously from 6 different sensors (3 each orthogonal electric and magnetic) in the frequency range 1 Hz up to 25 kHz. This allowed us to directly calculate the phase velocity from the measured ratio of |dE| to |dB| and compare it to theoretical values for various modes. Using this technique, we have gained some insight into the mode of the electromagnetic turbulence that extends in frequency from ∼ 1 Hz up to the electron cyclotron frequency (several hundred Hz to a few kHz) in the TBL. The whistler and kinetic Alfvén wave modes are discussed as the possible modes of this turbulence. By analyzing the high time resolution waveforms, we isolate and identify some of these modes. The electrostatic turbulence above the electron cyclotron frequency is associated with pulses and quasi-sinusoidal waveforms observed in the measured time series. These do not fit any known mode, although work is continuing in this area to show that some of them may be associated with electron holes or with downshifted Langmuir waves produced through a two-stream instability.