Whistler-mode Waves in a Hot Plasma (Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series)

The book provides an extensive theoretical treatment of whistler-mode propagation, instabilities, and damping in a collisionless plasma. It takes into account different aspects of the electron distribution function, such as temperature, anisotropy, loss cone character and the existence of beams, each of which is of relevance to the study of plasma dynamics, particularly in the conditions of the Earth's magnetosphere. This book fills a gap between oversimplified analytical studies of these waves, based on the cold plasma approximation, and studies based on numerical methods. Emphasis is made on the analysis of relativistic effects on whistler-mode propagation, which has been neglected in most previous studies of this phenomenon. These effects are particularly important in the case of whistler-mode propagation in a rarefied plasma. Consistency between analytical results and the results of numerical analyses confirms the validity of both approaches to the problem. 1. Basic Equations -- 1.1. Approximations -- 1.2. Development Of An Initial Perturbation -- 1.3. The Dispersion Equation -- 1.4. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (general Expression) -- 1.5. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (weakly Relativistic Approximation) -- 1.6. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (non-relativistic Approximation) -- 1.7. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (special Cases) -- 1.8. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (effect Of Electron Beams) -- 1.9. The Plasma Dielectric Tensor (cold Plasma Approximation) -- 1.10. Wave Polarization -- 2. Propagation In A Cold Plasma -- 2.1. The Appleton-hartree Equation -- 2.2. Whistler-mode Group Velocity -- 2.3. Whistler-mode Polarization -- 2.4. A Physical Model Of Wave Propagation -- 3. Parallel Propagation (weakly Relativistic Approximation) -- 3.1. Simplification Of The General Dispersion Equation -- 3.2. Low-temperature Limit -- 3.3. Physical Interpretation -- 4. Parallel Propagation (non-relativistic Approximation) -- 4.1. Analytical Solutions --^ 4.2. A Graphical Solution -- 4.3. Group Velocity -- 5. Quasi-longitudinal Approximation -- 5.1. Almost Parallel Propagation (low-temperature Limit) -- 5.2. Propagation At A Finite [theta] (low-temperature Limit) -- 5.3. Special Cases Of Quasi-longitudinal Propagation -- 5.4. Wave Polarization -- 5.5. Propagation In The Presence Of Electron Beams -- 6. Quasi-electrostatic Approximation -- 6.1. The Dispersion Equation In A Low-temperature Limit -- 6.2. The Quasi-electrostatic Solution For A[actual Symbol Not Reproducible] [actual Symbol Not Reproducible] 0 -- 6.3. The Quasi-electrostatic Solution For A[actual Symbol Not Reproducible] = 0 -- 6.4. An Improved Quasi-electrostatic Approximation -- 6.5. The Quasi-electrostatic Solution For [xi][subscript 1] = -0.924 -- 6.6. Wave Polarization -- 6.7. Propagation In The Presence Of Electron Beams -- 7. Growth And Damping Of The Waves -- 7.1. Parallel Propagation (weakly Relativistic Approximation) --^ 7.2. Parallel Propagation (non-relativistic Approximation) -- 7.3. Quasi-longitudinal Propagation -- 7.4. Quasi-electrostatic Propagation -- 7.5. A Physical Model -- 8. Non-linear Effects -- 8.1. Quasi-linear Theory -- 8.2. Monochromatic Waves -- 9. Applications To The Earth's Magnetosphere -- 9.1. Whistler Diagnostics Of Magnetospheric Parameters -- 9.2. Whistler-mode Emissions In The Vicinity Of The Magnetopause -- 9.3. Mid-latitude Hiss-type Emissions. Sergei Sazhin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

The book provides an extensive theoretical treatment of whistler-mode propagation, instabilities and damping in a collisionless plasma. This book fills a gap between oversimplified analytical studies of these waves, based on the cold plasma approximation, and studies based on numerical methods. Although the book is primarily addressed to space plasma physicists and radio physicists, it will also prove useful to laboratory plasma physicists. Mathematical methods described in the book can be applied in a straightforward way to the analysis of other types of plasma waves. Problems included in this book, along with their solutions, allow it to be used as a textbook for postgraduate students.

In view of the applications of our theory to the conditions of the Earth's magnetosphere the following assumptions are made: (1) The plasma is assumed to be homogeneous in the sense that its actual inhomogeneity does not influence its dispersion characteristics, instability or damping at any particular point, although in general these characteristics can change from one point to another. The book provides an extensive theoretical treatment of whistler-mode propagation, instabilities and damping in a hot, anisotropic and collisionless plasma. Most of the results are original and have never been published in a monograph on a similar subject before.