A new mechanism for accelerating electrons in the outer ionosphere

Abstract

We propose here to study the phenomena of high-energy trapped particles in the earth's outer ionosphere using a new mechanism for particle acceleration. The phenomenon of gyroresonance would be employed to accelerate electrons in the earth's outer ionosphere with circularly polarized VLF electromagnetic waves generated on the ground. According to the theory of whistling atmospherics [Storey, 1953], the ionosphere can propagate a circularly polarized plane electromagnetic wave whose frequency is less than that of the plasma and gyrofrequencies. Large reductions in the phase and group velocities take place, and the ray paths tend to follow the earth's magnetic field.