Whistler Wave Interactions Experiments

Life Members and co-sponsoring Nuclear and Plasma Science Society and BU IEEE/IEEE-HNK

By Professor Min-Chang Lee – Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Boston University

Whistler wave injection experiments were conducted at the Arecibo Observatory (AO), in Puerto Rico; starting with our joint US-USSR Active Space Plasma program conducted on December 24, 1989. In this AO experiment, whistler waves at 10 kHz and 10 kW were transmitted from a USSR Active Satellite. The 430 MHz radar was used to diagnose whistler wave interactions with ionospheric plasmas over AO.A series of controlled whistler wave experiments with AO HF heater were subsequently carried out during 1990 – 1998. In these ionospheric HF heating experiments, 28.5 kHz whistler waves were launched from the nearby Naval transmitter (code-named NAU) located at Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. HF heater waves were used to create ionospheric ducts (in the form of large plasma sheets as parallel plate waveguides) to facilitate the entering of NAU whistler waves from the neutral atmosphere into the ionosphere.

Conjugate whistler wave propagation experiments were performed between Arecibo, Puerto Rico and Trelew, Argentina in 1997. In the next 18 years or so (1999 – ongoing), we conducted whistler wave experiments in the absence of an HF heater. Naturally-occurring large-scale ionospheric irregularities (due to spread F or TIDs) were relied on to guide whistler wave propagation from the ionosphere further into the radiation belts. Hence, we have been able to investigate whistler wave interactions with the ionosphere as well as with the radiation belts for satellite remediation research at AO. We plan to use the newly built Arecibo HF heater and NAU VLF transmitter together with Arecibo UHF and microwave radars for further study of whistler wave interactions with space plasma.

Min-Chang Lee received his Ph.D. in Electro physics/Applied Plasma Physics from University of California San Diego. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University (BU). In the past 25+ years he has developed an integrated educational and research program at BU in electromagnetic wave interactions with plasmas for space and energy applications, including theoretical study, field experiments, and laboratory simulation experiments. Dr. Lee is IEEE Boston Chapter Chair of Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS).

The meeting will be held at the Lincoln Lab Auditorium, 244 Wood Street., Lexington, MA at 4:00 PM.

Refreshments will be served at 3:30 PM. Registration is in the main lobby.

Foreign national visitors to Lincoln Lab require visit requests. Please pre-register by e-mail to reception@ll.mit.edu and indicate your citizenship.

Please use the Wood Street Gate. For directions go to http://www.ll.mit.edu/; for other information, contact Steve Teahan, Chairman, at (978)763-5136, or Steve.F.Teahan@raytheon.com