Characteristics of the Kilometric Continuum Source Region as Observed
by the Radio Plasma Imager on IMAGE

S. A. Boardsen, S. F. Fung, J. L. Green, and B. W. Reinisch

The Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the IMAGE satellite has made numerous
passes through or near the source region of Kilometric Continuum (KC)
radiation. This radiation has been observed to be generated at the
plasmapause near the magnetic equator inside bite-out structures. The KC
appear in frequency-time spectrograms as banded emissions emanating from
the upper hybrid emission band. Characterizing the local plasma and
electron cyclotron frequencies and gradients are important for gaining
further understanding of this emission and placing limits on theoretical
models of the emission generation processes. The RPI has a distinct
advantage in studying this emission because it can both passively detect
these emissions and actively sound the local plasma resonances to obtain
the surrounding plasma characteristics near the source region. A number of
KC events will be presented and analyzed.  

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To be presented at the 2002 Spring A.G.U. Meeting, 
Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 28-31 May 2002