A NOVEL IONOSPHERIC CYCLOTRON RESONANCE PHENOMENON OBSERVED ON ALOUETTE I DATA

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Abstract
Characteristics of an extraordinary wave trace recently identified on Alouette I topside ionograms, and called the remote resonance trace by Hagg (1966), are discussed in detail. From the observations it has been deduced that the radio energy associated with the production of this trace propagates along an ionospheric magnetic field-aligned wave guide. The electric field of an h.f. wave propagating along such a guide would have a gradient normal to the earth's magnetic field, and because of this gradient the wave could excite an electron–cyclotron resonance in a region of the ionosphere that includes the height where the wave frequency is equal to twice the electron gyrofrequency. At some time delay after the wave has passed through the resonant region, the resonating electrons generate an extraordinary wave, which propagates upward along the guide and is subsequently received by the satellite. This wave is responsible for the production of the remote resonance trace. The equation for the time delay is given and the resonance trace computed, using this equation, is shown to be in good agreement with the observed resonance trace for a specific ionogram.