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

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA085iA09p04689· OSTI ID:5002755

Paschmann, G; Sckopke, N; Asbridge, J R; Bame, S J; Gosling, J T

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 with Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory/Max-Planck-Institut instrumentation on Isee 1 and 2. For 18 cases, with beam energies ranging from approx.1.4 to approx.30 times the solar wind energy, a comparison between the observed and the predicted beam energies has been made. Good agreement between the reflection theory and the observations has been found. Thus simple reflection can account for the several keV ion beams observed upstream from the earth's bow shock.

• Research Organization: Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, 8046 Garching, West Germany
• OSTI ID: 5002755
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 85:A9; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOSHEATH
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
SPACE
STELLAR RADIATION