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At least 307 records · Page 17
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NASA NTRS1992

Remote radio observations of solar wind parameters upstream of planetary bow shocks

Radio emission is frequently produced at twice the electron plasma frequency 2fp in the foreshock region upstream of the terrestrial bow shock. Observations of this emission provide a remote diagnostic of solar wind parameters in the foreshock. Using ISEE-3 radio data, we present the first evidence that the radio intensity is proportional to the kinetic energy flux and to other parameters correlated with solar wind density. We provide a qualitative explanation of this intensity behavior and predict the detection of similar emission at Jupiter by the Ulysses spacecraft.

Macdowall, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The structure of oblique subcritical bow shocks - ISEE 1 and 2 observations

ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft magnetic field data are used to determine the scale lengths of various elements of shock structure, as well as wavelengths and wave polarizations, in a study of structural elements which include shock ramps and precursor wave trains over a series of oblique, low Mach number terrestrial bow shocks. Dissipative processes are reflected in the damping of the precursors, and dissipative scale lengths are of 200-800 km, or several times greater than shock thicknesses. The source of dissipation in the shocks does not appear to be the wave-wave decay of the whistlers, for which no evidence is found. The interaction of the whistler itself with upstream electrons is suggested as a simple and self-consistent explanation for the observed wave train damping.

Mellott, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Study of waves in the earth's bow shock.

Results of an examination of the perturbation vectors of waves upstream and downstream from the region of maximum compression in the bow shock on Ogo 5 under particularly steady solar-wind conditions. The polarization of the upstream waves was right-hand circular, and that of the downstream waves left-hand elliptical in the spacecraft frame. By observing that the polarization of the waves remained unchanged as the shock motion swept the wave structure back and forth across the satellite three times in eight minutes, it was found that the waves were not stationary in the shock frame. A study of the methods of determining the shock normal indicates that the normal estimated from a shock model should be superior to the normal based on magnetic coplanarity. The propagation vectors of the waves examined did not coincide with the shock-model normal, the average magnetic field, or the plasma-flow velocity. However, the major axis of the polarization ellipse of the downstream wave was nearly parallel to the upstream propagation vector.

Holzer, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Directional diffusion coefficients of solar protons inside and outside the bow shock.

The directional diffusion coefficients of low-energy (greater than or equal to 0.3 MeV) solar protons inside and outside the bow shock are examined during the solar flare event of Jan. 24, 1969. The data are derived from simultaneous observations obtained by Explorer 33 inside the magnetosheath and by Explorer 35 in the interplanetary medium. Although the gross properties of the spin-averaged intensities on a diffusion-type plot appear to be the same in both media, the directional intensities show significant variations. It is shown that directional intensities of low-energy protons can be described reasonably well by anisotropic diffusion with an associated diffusion coefficient. Directional diffusion coefficients are found to differ by a factor of as much as three among different directions in space, and from the spin-averaged diffusion coefficient. This suggests that anisotropic diffusion does indeed take place and that so called 'isotropic' diffusion coefficients derived in the past from spin-averaged intensities may actually be directional diffusion coefficients in cases where substantial anisotropies (greater than 50%) exist.

Verzariu, P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Energization of solar wind ions by reflection from the earth's bow shock

The existence of ion beams with energies a few times the solar wind energy and streaming outward from the earth's bow shock has been known for some time. To explain the observed ion energies, a simple reflection model has been proposed in which the particles gain energy by displacement parallel to the interplanetary electric field. In this model the energy gained in the reflection can be described as a function of the angles between the interplanetary magnetic field, the solar wind velocity, and the local shock normal. Ion beams under widely varying conditions have been observed in ISEE 1 and 2. For 18 cases, with beam energies ranging from approximately 1.4 to 30 times the solar wind energy, a comparison between the observed and the predicted beam energies has been made.

Paschmann, G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ion beams and the ion/ion acoustic instability upstream from the earth's bow shock

This paper considers the generation of enhanced ion acoustic fluctuations by field-aligned ion beams upstream from the earth's bow shock. Steep slopes in the beam distribution parallel and possibly strongly oblique to the magnetic field are correlated with bursts of ion acoustic noise in the upstream region. Linear theory shows that it is the slope of the beam distribution at oblique angles to the magnetic field that determines the growth rate of the ion/ion acoustic instability. Because of instrumentation limitations, it is suggested but not confirmed that enhanced ion acoustic fluctuations in the upstream region and in the presence of field-aligned beams are driven by such steep-sided distributions.

Fuselier, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Magnetic Field Orientation Effects on the Standoff Distance of Earth's Bow Shock

Three-dimensional, global MHD simulations of solar wind flow onto a prescribed magnetopause obstacle are used to show that a bow shock's nose location a(sub s), and the relative subsolar magnetosheath thickness Delta(sub ms)/a(sub mp) are strong functions of the IMF cone angle theta (between v(sub sw) and B(sub sw)) and the Alfven Mach number M(sub A). For a given M(sub A) the shock is more distant for higher theta (restricted to the interval 0-90deg by symmetries), while a(sub s)/a(sub mp) and Delta(sub ms/a(sub mp) increase with decreasing M(sub A) for theta greater than or approximately 20deg but decrease with decreasing M(sub A) for theta approximately Odeg. Large differences in Delta(sub ms/a(sub mp) are predicted between theta = Odeg and 90deg at low M(sub A), with smaller differences remaining even at M(sub A) approximately 10. The theta = Odeg results confirm and extend the previous work of Spreiter and Rizzi [1974]. The simulations show that successful models for the subsolar shock location cannot subsume the dependences on M(sub A) and theta into a sole dependence on M(ms). Instead, they confirm a recent prediction [Cairns and Grabbe, 1994] that a(sub s)/a(sub mp) and Delta(sub ms)/a(sub mp) should depend strongly on theta and M(sub A) for M(sub A) less than or approximately 10 (as well as on other MHD variables). Detailed comparisons between theory and data remain to be done. However, preliminary comparisons show good agreement, with distant shock locations found for low M(sub A) and large theta greater than or approximately 45deg and closer locations found for theta less than or approximately 20deg even at M/A approximately 8.

Cairns, Iver H.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Bow Shock in Merging Cluster A520: The Edge of the Radio Halo and the Electron-Proton Equilibration Timescale

We studied the prominent bow shock in the merging galaxy cluster A520 using a deep Chandra X-ray observation and archival VLA radio data. This shock is a useful diagnostic tool, owing to its clear geometry and relatively high Mach number. At the "nose" of the shock, we measure a Mach number of M=2.4(sup 0.4, sub -0.2). The shock becomes oblique away from the merger axis, with the Mach number falling to approx. 1.6 around 30 deg from the nose. The electron temperature immediately behind the shock nose is consistent with that from the Rankine-Hugoniot adiabat, and is higher (at a 95% confidence) than expected for adiabatic compression of electrons followed by Coulomb electron-proton equilibration, indicating the presence of equilibration mechanisms faster than Coulomb collisions. This is similar to an earlier finding for the Bullet cluster. We also combined four archival VLA data sets to obtain a better image of the cluster's giant radio halo at 1.4 GHz. An abrupt edge of the radio halo traces the shock front, and no emission is detected in the pre-shock region. If the radio edge were due only to adiabatic compression of relativistic electrons in pre-shock plasma, we would expect a pre-shock radio emission detectable in this radio data set; however, an interferometric artifact dominates the uncertainty, so we cannot rule this model out. Other interesting features of the radio halo include a peak at the remnant of the cool core, suggesting that the core used to have a radio minihalo, and a peak marking a possible region of high turbulence.

Wang, Qian H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Electron Scattering by Low-frequency Whistler Waves at Earth’s Bow Shock

Electrons are accelerated to nonthermal energies at shocks in space and astrophysical environments. While shock drift acceleration (SDA) has been considered a key process of electron acceleration at Earth’s bow shock, it has also been recognized that SDA needs to be combined with an additional stochastic process to explain the observed power-law energy spectra. Here, we show mildly energetic (∼0.5 keV) electrons are locally scattered (and accelerated while being confined) by magnetosonic-whistler waves within the shock transition layer, especially when the shock angle is large (θ(sub Bn) approximately equal or greater than 70°). When measured by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission at a high cadence, ∼0.5 keV electron flux increased exponentially in the shock transition layer. However, the flux profile was not entirely smooth and the fluctuation showed temporal/spectral association with large-amplitude (δB/B ~ 0.3), low-frequency (approximately equal or less than 0.1 Ω(sub ce) where Ω(sub ce) is the cyclotron frequency), obliquely propagating (θ(sub kB) ~ 30°–60°, where θ(sub kB) is the angle between the wave vector and background magnetic field) whistler waves, indicating that the particles were interacting with the waves. Particle simulations demonstrate that, although linear cyclotron resonances with ∼0.5 keV electrons are unlikely due to the obliquity and low frequencies of the waves, the electrons are still scattered beyond 90° pitch angle by (1) resonant mirroring (transit-time damping), (2) non-resonant mirroring, and (3) subharmonic cyclotron resonances. Such coupled nonlinear scattering processes are likely to provide the stochasticity needed to explain the power-law formation.

Oka, M.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A model for generation of bow-shock-associated upstream waves

A model is proposed for the generation of upstream hydromagnetic waves by proton beams reflected at the earth's bow shock. It is assumed that the reflection process can produce some gyrophase bunching of the protons, thus creating a gyrophase disturbance that propagates with the beam as it streams back along interplanetary field lines. This leads to the production of driven hydromagnetic waves in the left-hand mode. The resulting theory predicts a wave amplitude, frequency, and polarization in the solar wind rest frame. The amplitude depends on the fraction of protons assumed to be phase coherent in their gyromotion and on the plasma beta, beam velocity, temperatures, and the Alfven Mach number. The theory also predicts the Doppler-shifted frequencies and the apparent sense of polarization that would be observed in satellite measurement frames.

Fredricks, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Stability of electron distributions within the earth's bow shock

The present examination of the linear Vlasov stability of a class of electron velocity distributions modeling those observed within the earth's bow shock is restricted to electrostatic waves propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field B. Two instabilities are identified as driven by free energy in the direction parallel to B: an ion acoustic wave with real frequency below the ion plasma frequency, and an electron acoustic wave whose real frequency is several times the ion plasma frequency. Unstable wave characteristics are in accord with the trend of the observed electrostatic waves toward polarization parallel to the magnetic field. The instabilities identified may contribute to electron dissipation in collisionless shocks.

Thomsen, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Upstream gyrophase bunched ions - A mechanism for creation at the bow shock and the growth of velocity space structure through gyrophase mixing

The conditions necessary for the production of gyrophase bunched ions at the bow shock are developed. The conditions are applied to the reflection mechanism presented by Paschmann et al. (1980), showing that when in their model a portion of the incident parallel velocity is converted into reflected perpendicular velocity, the reflected particles are gyrophase bunched. The growth of velocity space structure in the gyrophase bunched distribution through gyrophase mixing is also explored. The structure is found to be similar to that reported in diffuse and dispersed ion events. This together with the close correlation of the observation of gyrophase bunched ions with diffuse and dispersed ions has led us to speculate that these two populations may be closely related.

Gurgiolo, C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

High time resolution plasma wave and magnetic field observations of the Jovian bow shock

High time resolution (60 ms) Voyager magnetometer and plasma wave measurements of a strong (fast Mach number 16), quasi-perpendicular Jovian bow shock reveal an abrupt change in the plasma wave spectrum at the leading edge of the shock foot. Upstream electron plasma waves terminate at the leading edge, and are replaced by a lower-frequency broadband spectrum of ion-acoustic-like waves, which terminates at the main shock ramp. The clear association with the foot region of the lower frequency component suggests that it is generated by reflected ions. If the upstream plasma waves are generated by an escaping electron heat flux, their termination at the leading edge suggests that electrons are heated by the low-frequency waves in the shock foot.

Moses, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Particle injection and acceleration at earth's bow shock - Comparison of upstream and downstream events

The injection and acceleration of thermal solar wind ions at the quasi-parallel earth's bow shock during radial interplanetary magnetic field conditions is investigated. Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/Ion Release Module satellite observations of complete proton spectra, and of heavy ion spectra above 10 keV/Q, made on September 12, 1984 near the nose of the shock, are presented and compared to the predictions of a Monte Carlo shock simulation which includes diffusive shock acceleration. It is found that the spectral observations are in good agreement with the predictions of the simulation when it is assumed that all accelerated ions originate in the solar wind and are injected into the acceleration mechanism by thermal leakage from the downstream plasma. The efficiency, which is determined directly from the downstream observations, is high, with at least 15 percent of the solar wind energy flux going into accelerated particles. The comparisons allow constraints to be placed on the rigidity dependence of the scattering mean free path and suggest that the upstream solar wind must be slowed substantially by backstreaming accelerated ions prior to undergoing a sharp transition in the viscous subshock.

Ellison, Donald C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A theoretical model of the bow shock and the magnetosphere of Jupiter

Using the data obtained from the Pioneer 10 and 11 observations, a theoretical model is proposed for the bow shock and the magnetosphere of Jupiter. This indicates that the distance of the magnetopause from Jupiter on the sunlit side is 50-55 times the Jupiter radius (7 billion cm) and that the ratio of the stand-off distance to this distance is about equal to or slightly larger than unity. Hence the Mach number of the solar wind seems to be less than 1.5 at Jupiter's orbit. This result necessarily leads to a blunt body model of the Jovian magnetosphere, the tail region of which is not as extended as observed in the earth's case.

Sakurai, K.↗