Deciphering satellite observations of compressional ULF waveguide modes

Abstract

We present an analytical method for determining incident and reflection co- efficients for flank ULF compressional waveguide modes in Earth’s magnetosphere. In the flank magnetosphere, compressional waves propagate azimuthally, but exhibit a mixed standing/propagating nature radially. Understanding this radial dependence will yield information on the energy absorption and transport of these waves. We provide a step by step method that can be applied to observations of flank ULF waves, which separates these fluctuations into incident and reflected parts. As a means of testing, we apply the method to data from a numerical waveguide simulation, which shows the effect on the reflection coefficient when energy is absorbed at a field line resonance.