Proton Gyro-harmonic Echo Phenomena Observed in the Plasmasphere by the Radio
Sounder on the IMAGE Satellite

D. L. Carpenter, T. F. Bell, I. A. Galkin, and B. W. Reinisch


The Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) instrument on the IMAGE satellite has detected a
variety of phenomena that appear to represent interactions with the plasma in
the immediate vicinity of the satellite. The phenomena include discrete echoes
at delays that are multiples of the local proton gyro-period, resonances, and
spur-like discrete forms. These effects, detected over a range of altitudes from
~1500 km to 20000 km, resemble in several ways echoes detected by the ISIS
satellite series. Efforts are underway to determine the influence on these
phenomena of various factors such as ambient plasma density and antenna
orientation and satellite motion with respect to the magnetic field.

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Presentation, 28th URSI General Assembly, New Delhi, India, 23-29 October 2005