Experimental determination of whistler wave dispersion relation in the solar wind

TL;DR

This study uses spacecraft measurements to directly determine the dispersion relation of whistler waves in the solar wind, confirming their properties and origin related to electron heat flux instability.

Contribution

It provides the first direct experimental determination of whistler wave dispersion relations in the solar wind using single spacecraft data.

Findings

Whistler waves are right-hand circularly polarized and travel anti-sunward.

Their dispersion relation matches linear theory predictions.

Properties are consistent with generation by electron heat flux instability.

Abstract

The origins and properties of large amplitude whistler wave packets in the solar wind are still unclear. In this Letter we utilise single spacecraft electric and magnetic field waveform measurements from the ARTEMIS mission to calculate the plasma frame frequency and wavevector of individual wave packets over multiple intervals. This allows direct comparison of experimental measurements with theoretical dispersion relations to identify the observed waves as whistler waves. The whistlers are right-hand circularly polarised, travel anti-sunward and are aligned with the background magnetic field. Their dispersion is strongly affected by the local electron parallel beta in agreement with linear theory. The properties measured are consistent with the electron heat flux instability acting in the solar wind to generate these waves.