Cyclic behavior at quasi-parallel collisionless shocks

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL016i005p00345· OSTI ID:5913737

Burgess, D ^[1]

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1. Queen Mary College, London (England)

Large scale one-dimensional hybrid simulations with resistive electrons have been carried out of a quasi-parallel ({theta}{sub Bn} = 30{degree}) high Mach number collisionless shock. The shock initially appears stable, but then exhibits cyclic behavior. For the magnetic field the cycle consists of a period when the transition from upstream to downstream is steep and well defined, followed by a period when the shock transition is extended and perturbed. This cyclic shock solution results from upstream perturbations, caused by backstreaming gyrating ions, convecting into the shock. The cyclic re-formation of a sharp shock transition can allow ions, at one time upstream because of reflection or leakage, to contribute to the shock thermalization. The simulations are simplistic in a number of ways for the quasi-parallel shock, but their results suggest a model which may explain qualitatively several features of observations.

• OSTI ID: 5913737
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 16:5; ISSN GPRLA; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HEATING
INTERACTIONS
LEPTONS
MACH NUMBER
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
PLASMA
REFLECTION
SHOCK WAVES
SIMULATION
SLOWING-DOWN
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
THERMALIZATION
VELOCITY