Photoelectrons and solar wind/lunar limb interaction.

Abstract

It is suggested that boundary conditions for solar wind/lunar limb interactions are active. The 'whole-moon' limb does not evoke a shock cone, because warm (approximately equal 13 eV/electron) solar wind electrons are replaced by cool (less than or equal to 2 eV/electron) photoelectrons that are ejected from the generally smooth areas of the lunar terminator illuminated at glazing angles by the sun. A localized volume of low thermal pressure is created in the solar wind by these cool photoelectrons. The solar wind expands into this turbulence-suppressive volume without shock production. Conversely, directly illuminated highland areas exchange hot photoelectrons (greater than 20 eV/electron) for warm solar wind electrons. The hot electrons generate a localized pressure increase in the adjacent solar wind flow which evokes a shock streamer in the solar wind. Shock streamers are identifiable by a coincident increase in the magnitude of the solar wind magnetic field immediately external to the lunar wake. Shock occurrence is controlled by lunar topography, solar activity in the hard ultraviolet (greater than 20 eV), solar wind electron density and thermal velocity, and the intensity of the solar wind magnetic field.