Absorption of nearly perpendicularly propagating waves in the second harmonic layer

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Abstract
Propagation of waves nearly perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetic field and incident to the second electron-cyclotron harmonic layer is investigated in an inhomogeneous weakly relativistic plasma. The resonance region is treated by a boundary layer analysis, and the solutions are matched to the geometrical optics solutions outside the layer. This approach allows one to investigate the transmission, mode coupling, reflection, absorption, and the effects of relativistic broadening. This work extends a previous investigation with the purely perpendicular propagation. It is shown that the mode conversion and reflection rapidly cease to be of importance outside a narrow propagation cone as the doppler broadening becomes predominant. The geometrical optics approach, which breaks down in the purely perpendicular propagation, then becomes valid. It is also shown that the transmission coefficient and the reflection from the high-field side incidence are not altered within this cone.