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On the origin of the type-III radiation observed near the Sun

Authors :
Mozer, Forrest
Agapitov, Oleksiy
Bale, Stuart
Goetz, Keith
Krasnoselskikh, Vladimir
Pulupa, Marc
Sauer, Konrad
Voshchepynets, Andrii
Source :
A&A 690, L6 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

$\textit{AIMS.}$ To investigate processes associated with generation of type-III radiation. $\textit{METHODS.}$ Measure the amplitudes and phase velocities of Parker Solar Probe observed electric fields, magnetic fields, and plasma density fluctuations. $\textit{RESULTS.}$ (1) There are slow electrostatic waves near the Langmuir frequency and at as many as six harmonics, the number of which increases with the amplitude of the Langmuir wave. Their electrostatic nature is shown by measurement of the plasma density fluctuations. From these density fluctuations and the electric field magnitude, the k-value of the Langmuir wave is estimated to be 0.14 and $k \lambda_d$ = 0.4. Even with a large uncertainty in this quantity (more than a factor of two) the phase velocity of the Langmuir wave was <10,000 km/sec. (2) There is an electromagnetic wave near the Langmuir frequency having a phase velocity <50,000 km/sec. (3) Whether there are electromagnetic waves at the harmonics of the Langmuir frequency cannot be determined because, if they existed, their magnetic field components would be below the noise level of the measurement. (4) The rapid (less than one msec) amplitude variations typical of the Langmuir wave and its harmonics are artifacts resulting from addition of two waves, one of which has small frequency variations that arise from traveling through density irregularities. None of these results are expected in or consistent with the conventional model of the three-wave interaction of two counter-streaming Langmuir waves that coalesce to produce the type-III wave. They are consistent with a new model in which electrostatic antenna waves are produced at the harmonics by radiation of the Langmuir wave, after which at least the first harmonic wave evolved through density irregularities such that its wave number decreased and it became the type-III radiation.

Details

Database :
arXiv
Journal :
A&A 690, L6 (2024)
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.2403.05984
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451134