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Theory of solar radio pulsation

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Abstract

We show that the observed modulation of some coronal microwave, X-ray and Type III emission into pulses of 10 sec intervals is a consequence of the stimulation of electron cyclotron waves propagated in the whistler mode in dipole-like bipolar regions of dimension ≈ 0.2 R . Assuming that a power law spectrum of ≥ 10 keV electrons with a slope similar to solar flare protons can be trapped in a bipolar region, we show that whistlers can be generated by pitch angle instability. The resultant ≈ 10 sec bounce motion of whistler wave trains leads to enhanced, modulated emission in microwave and X-ray frequencies by pitch angle scattering of MeV electrons, and to modulated Type III emission by scattering with coherent plasma waves. A direct prediction of the theory is the existence of sympathetic pulsations at two sources a fraction of a solar radius apart. A second test of the theory is that modulated Type III emission should show strong polarization.

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This work was conducted under U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) Contract No. F04701-69-C-0066.

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Chiu, Y.T. Theory of solar radio pulsation. Sol Phys 13, 420–443 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00153561

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00153561

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