A Model of Zebra Patterns in Solar Radio Emission

TL;DR

This paper presents a model explaining complex zebra patterns in solar radio emissions as interactions between plasma waves and whistlers, highlighting the role of particle scattering and wave instabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model linking zebra pattern features to plasma wave interactions with whistlers and particle scattering mechanisms.

Findings

Zebra pattern details explained by plasma wave-whistler interactions

Major stripe variations caused by particle scattering on whistlers

Transition from normal to anomalous whistler instability observed

Abstract

We analyze complex zebra patterns and fiber bursts during type-IV solar radio bursts on August 1, 2010. It was shown that all of the main details of sporadic zebra patterns can be explained within the model of zebra patterns and fiber bursts during the interaction of plasma waves with whistlers. In addition, it was shown that the major variations in the stripes of the zebra patterns are caused by the scattering mechanism of fast particles on whistlers, which leads to the transition of whistler instability from the normal Doppler effect to an anomalous one.