Waves generated during electron beam emissions from the Space Shuttle

Observations from the SEPAC (Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators) experiment on Spacelab 1 Shuttle mission of waves generated during electron beam emissions are presented. The dependence of the wave intensity on the beam parameters and the Shuttle attitude is outlined, and the shape of the wave spectra are discussed. It is found that the noise in the 0.75- to 10 kHz band has a spectral shape that can be characterized by an f exp -n law, and that the VLF signal level depends on the beam angle to the magnetic field, the strongest emissions being observed for parallel beams. These features are found to be consistent with a drift wave instability.