Publication Date:
2019-07-12
Description:
The evolution of a distribution of electrons is followed after they are injected impulsively at the top of a coronal magnetic loop, with the objective of studying the plasma instabilities which result. At early times the downgoing electrons have beamlike distributions and amplify electrostatic waves via the Cerenkov resonance; the anomalous Doppler resonance is found to be less important. Slightly later, while the electrons are still predominantly downgoing, they are unstable to cyclotron maser generation of z-mode waves with omega(p) much less than Omega, or to second harmonic x-mode waves. The energetics of these instabilities, including saturation effects and heating of the ambient plasma, are discussed. It is suggested that coalescence of two z-mode waves generated by cyclotron maser emission of the downgoing electrons may produce the observed microwave spike bursts.
Keywords:
SOLAR PHYSICS
Type:
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X); 308; 424-435
Format:
text
Permalink