Analytical and numerical studies of the cold electromagnetic LH wave equation in the mode conversion regime

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the presence of the mode conversion (nz<nzcritical), on the evolution of the electric field of the lower hybrid (LH) propagating wave. The propagation of the LH wave in a magnetized plasma, for both mode polarization (slow and fast), is described by a fourth order ordinary differential equation, which here has been analyzed analytically and numerically. A complete WKB solution of the 4th order equation has also been obtained showing the failure of the method near the cut-offs and the mode conversion point.