Numerical simulation of whistler-triggered VLF emissions observed in Antarctica

The British Antarctic Survey VLF database from Halley (L = 4.3) and Faraday (L = 2.3) stations, Antarctica, has been searched for clear examples of whistler-triggered emissions (WTEs). Dominant events were the triggering of risers or quasi-constant frequency emissions from the upper arm of a whistler. A fairly frequent occurrence was the triggering of steep fallers from the whistler upper arm. At Faraday most WTE events were the triggering of long steep risers from the lower whistler arm. A VHS/VLF Vlasov hybrid simulation code was run and successfully simulated the main categories of WTE: risers and fallers off the upper arm and risers from the lower arm. Agreement with observations was generally very good, although in the case of triggered fallers and risers from the lower arm, very high frequency sweep rates were not obtained. The Vlasov code is highly efficient and well suited to this problem.