Statistical analysis of monochromatic whistler waves near the Moon detected by Kaguya

Abstract. Observations are presented of monochromatic whistler waves near the Moon detected by the Lunar Magnetometer (LMAG) on board Kaguya. The waves were observed as narrowband magnetic fluctuations with frequencies close to 1 Hz, and were mostly left-hand polarized in the spacecraft frame. We performed a statistical analysis of the waves to identify the distributions of their intensity and occurrence. The results indicate that the waves were generated by the solar wind interaction with lunar crustal magnetic anomalies. The conditions for observation of the waves strongly depend on the solar zenith angle (SZA), and a high occurrence rate is recognized in the region of SZA between 40° to 90° with remarkable north-south and dawn-dusk asymmetries. We suggest that ion beams reflected by the lunar magnetic anomalies are a possible source of the waves.

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