What causes the sound of a lion roaring?

Introduction

The sound of a lion roaring, in the context of space physics, refers to intense electromagnetic whistler-mode waves known as "lion roars" that occur in the magnetosheath. These emissions are characterized by their unique acoustic signature when converted to sound waves, resembling the roar of a lion.

Key Insights

Generation Mechanism:
- Lion roars are generated by cyclotron resonant instability with anisotropic magnetosheath electrons. This instability occurs when the magnetic energy per particle falls to values comparable with the electron thermal energy.
- The variation in critical energy for instability is associated with hydromagnetic mirror instability, which is excited by pressure anisotropy in the magnetosheath ion population.
Electron Temperature Anisotropy:
- The whistler waves, termed lion roars, are triggered by electron temperature anisotropy in the magnetosheath. This anisotropy is a key factor in the generation of these waves.
Electron Velocity Distribution:
- Detailed studies of the electron velocity distribution function indicate that some lion roars are locally generated, while others originate from more remote regions of the magnetosheath.

Conclusion

The sound of a lion roaring in the magnetosheath is caused by intense electromagnetic whistler-mode waves known as lion roars. These waves are primarily generated by cyclotron resonant instability with anisotropic magnetosheath electrons, influenced by electron temperature anisotropy and pressure anisotropy in the ion population. The source of these waves can be both local and remote within the magnetosheath.

What causes the sound of a lion roaring?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

The generation mechanism for magnetosheath lion roars

Lion roars in the magnetosheath are generated by cyclotron resonant instability with anisotropic electrons when magnetic energy per particle falls to values comparable with electron thermal energy.

Electron velocity distribution and lion roars in the magnetosheath

Lion roars in the magnetosheath are caused by electron temperature anisotropy, with some originating locally and others coming from remote regions.

Roaring and social communication in African lions: the limitations imposed by listeners

Roaring in African lions is confined to resident males, limiting potential territorial conflicts, and is sensitive to changes in status.

Spatiotemporal variation in African lion roaring in relation to a dominance shift

Lion roaring patterns change with social rank and space use patterns, indicating that roaring strategies and frequency vary with social rank and rival coalitions' space use.

Roaring and numerical assessment in contests between groups of female lions, Panthera leo

Female lions adjust their agonistic behavior in contests between groups, avoiding fighting with larger groups and adjusting their approach based on the size and composition of their own group.

Do acoustic features of lion, Panthera leo, roars reflect sex and male condition?

Lion roars are mainly selected to effectively advertise territorial boundaries, with sex differences explained by body size, and no evidence linking acoustic variables to male condition.

Adapted to Roar: Functional Morphology of Tiger and Lion Vocal Folds

The large square-shaped Panthera vocal folds with fat shape them into an advantageous geometry for phonation, extending the dynamic range of the voice and protecting them from mechanical stress during phonation.

Group territoriality in two populations of African lions

Lionesses in the Serengeti assess group-territorial odds by counting opponents, while those in Ngorongoro Crater approach intruders more aggressively when the odds of winning are low, indicating higher aggression in high population densities.

Shaping and Discriminative Control of Underwater Click Vocalizations in a California Sea Lion

Underwater click vocalizations in a captive California sea lion were successfully conditioned and controlled using differential reinforcement procedures, potentially aiding in the study of discriminative behavior.

Terrestrial lion roars and non‐Maxwellian distribution

The (r,q) distribution, or generalized kappa distribution, provides a better explanation for terrestrial lion roars in the Earth's magnetosheath, with good qualitative and quantitative agreement between theory and data.

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