Whistler mode wave numerical raytracing in a finite temperature anisotropic plasma medium

Whistler mode waves, which exist in a magnetized plasma, are prevalent in the Earth's magnetosphere in the extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) bands (100 Hz-30 kHz). Due to the impact of whistler mode waves on space weather processes, it is important to accurately predict the propagation trajectory of these waves. Numerical raytracing determines the power flow path of the whistler mode waves in the anisotropic medium of the magnetosphere. In the majority of previous work, magnetospheric raytracing has been implemented assuming a cold background plasma (0 K). However, a more accurate description of the magnetospheric plasma includes a background temperature of about 1 eV (11600 K). We present raytracing solutions which include the effects of finite electron and ion temperatures on the wave refractive index. The finite temperature effects are also introduced into the formulations for linear cyclotron resonance wave growth and Landau damping, which are the primary mechanisms for whistler mode amplification and attenuation in the magnetosphere. Finite temperature effects of the background plasma are shown to be most significant for highly oblique wave normal angles where the refractive index is bounded to smaller values than in the ideal cold plasma approximation.