Magion 5 observations of chorus-like emissions and their propagation features as inferred from ray-tracing simulation

Abstract. After reviewing briefly the present state of knowledge about chorus-like emissions, we present an overview of Magion 5 satellite observations of these emissions in the inner magnetosphere of the Earth. From the extensive VLF data recorded on board the Magion 5 satellite, we show examples of different types of discrete elements, representing rising and falling tones, and discuss their spectral properties, such as the bandwidth and the characteristic frequency as compared to the equatorial electron gyrofrequency. We analyse the possibility of satellite observation of discrete elements, assuming nonducted wave propagation from the source. As for the characteristic dimension of the generation region, we apply the figures obtained from the recently published correlation analysis of chorus emission recorded by four satellites in the Cluster experiment. We conclude that different frequencies in the chorus element should be emitted in a certain span of wave normal angles, so that the whole element could be observed far from the generation region.

Key words. Magnetospheric physics (plasmasphere; plasma waves and instabilities) – Space plasma physics (wave-particle interactions) – Ionosphere (wave propagation)