Heating and generation of suprathermal particles at collisionless shocks

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5671482

Thomsen, M F

Collisionless plasma shocks are different from ordinary collisional fluid shocks in several important respects. They do not in general heat the electrons and ions equally, nor do they produce Maxwellian velocity distributions downstream. Furthermore, they commonly generate suprathermal particles which propagate into the upstream region, giving advance warning of the presence of the shock and providing a ''seed'' population for further acceleration to high energies. Recent space observations and theory have revealed a great deal about the heating mechanisms which occur in collisionless shocks and about the origin of the various suprathermal particle populations which are found in association with them. An overview of the present understanding of these subjects is presented herein. 83 refs., 8 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5671482
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-85-2073; CONF-8408121-4; ON: DE85014114
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HEATING
IONS
LEPTONS
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
REVIEWS
SHOCK WAVES
WAVE PROPAGATION