Proton scattering in the region near the Earth's bow shock

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 4, pp. 607-616

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA078i004p00607· OSTI ID:4399456

Ossakow, S L; Sharp, G W

Lockheed spectrometer data from orbits 1 through 20 of Ogo 5 are used to study proton scattering near the bow shock. Correlative UCLA fluxgate magnetometer data from the satellite are used to complete motion studies of the bow shock when spectrometer data are missing. Thirty-eight analyzable sets of multiple shock crossings show 358 shock encounters ranging from r=10 R/sub E/ to r=22 R/sub E/ and spanning sun-earth-satellite angles from 30 deg to 90 deg . Gross features of the study show that the location and shape of the bow shock are in good agreement with the hydrodynamic model of the bow shock. On a microscale the protons are slowed and scattered, having concomitant randomization of velocity vectors as they traverse the bow shock layer. A change in drrected proton flux is noted, and study of the available spectrometer data shows a c/ omega /sub pi/ scale length for proton scattcring, where the Ogo 5 JPL plasma probe density measurements have been used. This scale length is based upon the time required for scattering the protons into the wings of the velocity distribution and may not be representative of the time required for proton heating. (auth)

• Research Organization: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., 20390
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-29-006023
• OSTI ID: 4399456
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 4, pp. 607-616, Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res., v. 78, no. 4, pp. 607-616; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*MAGNETOSPHERE-- SHOCK WAVES
EXOSPHERE
N58300* --Physics (Atmospheric)--Magnetospheric Phenomena
SATELLITES
SCATTERING
SUN