An experiment on the threshold effect in the coherent wave instability

Results are reported from an experimental study of the threshold effect in the coherent wave instability in which a combination of simulated VLF noise 200 Hz wide, superimposed on a variable amplitude constant frequency test signal (about 3 kHz) is transmitted from Siple Station, Antarctica, and received at Lake Mistissini, Quebec. As the test signal is slowly ramped up in power a 'threshold' level at which growth and triggering of emissions begin (coherent wave instability) is reached. It is shown that sufficiently strong simulated noise supresses the coherent wave instability, which corresponds to increasing the threshold level. This experiment is repeated at progressively lower levels of the simulated noise, until the threshold level for growth and triggering on the test signal no longer changes. At this point the simulated noise power is estimated to equal typical background noise levels due to magnetospheric hiss in the interaction region. It is suggested that unducted magnetospheric hiss is responsible for the threshold effect.