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Unexpected Very Low Frequency (VLF) Radio Events Recorded by the Ionospheric Satellite DEMETER

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Abstract

DEMETER was a low Earth orbiting microsatellite in operation between July 2004 and December 2010. Its scientific objective was the study of ionospheric perturbations in relation to seismic activity and man-made activities. Its payload was designed to measure electromagnetic waves over a large frequency range as well as ionospheric plasma parameters (electron and ion densities, fluxes of energetic charged particles). This paper will show both expected and unusual events recorded by the satellite when it was in operation. These latter events have been selected from the DEMETER database because they are rare or even have never been observed before, because they have a very high intensity, or because they are related to abnormalities of the experiments under particular plasma conditions. Some events are related to man-made radio waves emitted by VLF ground-based transmitters or power line harmonic radiation. Natural waves, such as atypical quasi-periodic emissions or uncommon whistlers, are also shown.

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Acknowledgments

DEMETER was a CNES mission. We thank the engineers from CNES and scientific laboratories (CBK, IRAP, LPC2E, LPP, SSD of ESTEC) who largely contributed to the success of this mission. Thanks are also due to many students who carefully scrutinized the DEMETER data during their summer jobs. OS and DP acknowledge funding from projects M100421206, GACR14-31899S, and LH12231. FN was supported by GACR Grant P209/12/P658. The work of TO was supported through the IODISSEE ANR grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LPC2E/CNRS, Orléans, France

    M. Parrot, J. Y. Brochot, D. Lagoutte, J. P. Lebreton & J. L. Pinçon

  2. LATMOS/IPSL/UVSQ, Paris, France

    J. J. Berthelier & T. Onishi

  3. CBK, Warsaw, Poland

    J. Blecki & E. Slominska

  4. UEC, Tokyo, Japan

    Y. Hobara

  5. Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    F. Němec & O. Santolík

  6. Institute of Atmospheric Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic

    D. Píša & O. Santolík

  7. IRAP, Toulouse, France

    J. A. Sauvaud

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  1. M. Parrot
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  2. J. J. Berthelier
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  3. J. Blecki
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  4. J. Y. Brochot
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  6. D. Lagoutte
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  7. J. P. Lebreton
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  9. T. Onishi
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  10. J. L. Pinçon
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  12. O. Santolík
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  13. J. A. Sauvaud
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  14. E. Slominska
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Correspondence to M. Parrot.

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Parrot, M., Berthelier, J.J., Blecki, J. et al. Unexpected Very Low Frequency (VLF) Radio Events Recorded by the Ionospheric Satellite DEMETER. Surv Geophys 36, 483–511 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-015-9315-5

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