Whistlers observed at low-latitude ground-based VLF facility in Fiji

The propagation features of nighttime whistlers to low-latitude station, Suva (−18.2°, 178.3°, geomag. lat. −22.1°, geomag. long. 253.5°, L=1.15), Fiji, from preliminary observations made during the period from September 2003-2005, are reported. The observations of ELF-VLF signals commenced in September 2003 using the VLF set-up of World Wide Lightning Location Network at our station. The whistlers were observed during the severe magnetic storm of 20-22 November 2003 and moderate magnetic storm of 17-19 July 2005. A whistler with dispersion D=12.7 s1/2 occurred on 22 November at 00:11 h LT. On 20 July at 01:00 h LT, a short whistler with dispersion D=20.9 s1/2 and two whistler events having two-component whistlers with D=15.8, 16.7 s1/2 and 16.7, 17.3 s1/2 were observed. Non-ducted pro-longitudinal mode of the whistler propagation supported by negative latitudinal electron density gradients in the ionosphere that are enhanced by magnetic storms, seems most likely mode of propagation for the whistlers with dispersion of 12.7-17.3 s1/2 to this low-latitude station.