A theoretical investigation on the parametric instability excited by X‐mode polarized electromagnetic wave at Tromsø

Recent ionospheric modification experiments performed at Tromsø, Norway, have indicated that X‐mode pump wave is capable of stimulating high‐frequency enhanced plasma lines, which manifests the excitation of parametric instability. This paper investigates theoretically how the observation can be explained by the excitation of parametric instability driven by X‐mode pump wave. The threshold of the parametric instability has been calculated for several recent experimental observations at Tromsø, illustrating that our derived equations for the excitation of parametric instability for X‐mode heating can explain the experimental observations. According to our theoretical calculation, a minimum fraction of pump wave electric field needs to be directed along the geomagnetic field direction in order for the parametric instability threshold to be met. A full‐wave finite difference time domain simulation has been performed to demonstrate that a small parallel component of pump wave electric field can be achieved during X‐mode heating in the presence of inhomogeneous plasma. Key Points X‐mode EM pump wave can excite PI near reflection height Parallel electric field is formed during X‐mode EM wave propagating in ionosphere Numerical simulation for EM wave propagation in ionosphere modification experiment