Structure of the November 12, 1978, Quasi-Parallel interplanetary shock

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA089iA07p05436· OSTI ID:6581723

Kennel, C F; Edmiston, J P; Scarf, F L; Coroniti, F V; Russell, C T; Smith, E J; Tsurutani, B T; Scudder, J D; Feldman, W C; Anderson, R R; Mozer, F S; Temerin, M

An objective of this paper is to determine the jump in plasma parameters across the November 12, 1978, interplanetary shock, sufficiently accurately to test in a subsequent paper a major prediction of shock acceleration theory: the dependence of the energetic ion spectral index upon the density compression ratio. We use ISEE 1 and 3 measurements of the magnetic field and electron and proton densities, temperatures, and bulk velocities, as well as ISEE 3 alpha particle measurements, and confirm the ISEE 1 electron densities using plasma wave measurements. We solve for the shock normal using four independent methods and show that the upstream and downstream flow parameters are consistent to better than 10% with ..gamma.. = 5/3 Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions. We conclude that the November 12, 1978, shock was a high-speed (612 km s/sup -1/), supercritical, quasi-parallel (theta/sub B//sub n/ = 41/sup 0/) shock of moderate strength (fast Mach number of 2.8) propagating into an upstream plasma whose total ..beta.. was 1.14 and whose electron-to-proton temperature ratio was 2.8. This shock had three dissipative scale lengths, one of a few Larmor radii associated with its magnetic field jump, one of about 10 R/sub E/ associated with electron equilibration, and one of about 30 R/sub E/ associated with an energetic proton foreshock.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6581723
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 89:A7; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
EXPLORER SATELLITES
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
MACH NUMBER
PLASMA WAVES
PROTON DENSITY
PROTON TEMPERATURE
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
SPACE
VELOCITY