Direct Comparisons of Whistler Mode Excitation Between an Electric and Loop Dipole Antenna in a Laboratory Plasma

High energy electrons from either solar wind or from human activity may become trapped inside the Van Allen radiation belts or create an artificial radiation belt that can persist for long periods of time. Spacecraft flying through these belts are susceptible to damage from these trapped electrons. Whistler waves are known to precipitate electrons into the atmosphere, so a proposed solution is using spacecraft to carry compact electron beams or antennas to remediate these trapped electrons. This remediation effort has picked up momentum with knowledge gained from recent space missions such as the Van Allen Probe spacecraft which collected data on electron loss mechanisms. Additionally, the recently completed Demonstration and Science Experiment (DSX) satellite mission conducted experiments on the efficiency of injecting very low frequency (VFL) waves in space with their novel 82-meter tip to tip electric dipole antenna. However, based on these missions and existing laboratory studies, there is still no clear candidate as the best generator of whistler waves for the purposes of a spacecraft-based radiation belt remediation mission.