Thin sheets of energetic electrons upstream from the earth's bow shock

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL006i005p00401· OSTI ID:6092935

Anderson, K A; Lin, R P; Martel, F; Lin, C S; Parks, G K; Reme, H

ISEE spacecraft observations show that energetic, > or =16 keV electrons are injected into the region upstream from the Earth's bow shock in a thin sheet which lies just behind the sheet of interplanetary magnetic field lines that are tangent to the shock surface. Lower energy electrons leave the shock over a much broader region. Although the energetic electron intensity varies, the sheet is nearly always present and may be a quasisteady state feature of the bow shock. The electron velocity distribution in the thin sheet is strongly peaked and is responsible for excitation of electron plasma waves.

• Research Organization: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
• OSTI ID: 6092935
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 6:5; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
INCLINATION
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
KEV RANGE
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOSPHERE
PLASMA WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND