Ray tracing of very low frequency waves produced by active experiments or lightning events at low Earth orbit

We investigate the propagation in the plasmasphere of Very Low Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic waves, such as natural lightning-generated whistler waves and waves produced by active experiments. An active experiment is an artificial controlled disturbance of the low orbit space or the ionosphere. The aim is often to produce electromagnetic waves for removing high-energy particles (mostly electrons). We study the wave propagation parameters whether they are geometric, background, or intrinsic parameters, such as the magnetic field model, the ambient plasma density model of the plasmasphere, and the wave frequency. All of these parameters cause different behaviors of propagation, which are discussed in this article