Ion and electron heating at the low-Mach-number, quasi-parallel bow shock

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA02560· OSTI ID:6589465

Thomsen, M F; Gosling, J T; Onsager, T G ^[1]; Russell, C T ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (United States)

The magnetic structure and energy dissipation at low-Mach-number, quasi-parallel collisionless shocks are examined through observations obtained by the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft at seven crossings of the Earth's dayside bow shock. The Alfven Mach number of the shocks in this set ranges from 2.0 to 3.7, and the angle [theta][sub Bn] between the shock normal and the average upstream magnetic field direction ranges from 2[degrees] to 39[degrees]. The shocks all exhibit a fairly short-scale-length ramp where the principal jumps in the electron temperature, ion temperature, and magnetic field strength take place. Large-amplitude, low-frequency, transverse waves in the magnetic field are present in and downstream from the ramp, with more modest waves upstream. The amplitude of the downstream waves is typically larger than can be accounted for by shock compression of the upstream waves. The electron heating represents about 6% of the dissipated bulk flow energy, consistent with observations in other parameter regimes, and suggesting that the dominant electron heating process is the same. The electron share of the dissipated energy appears to increase somewhat with increasing [theta][sub Bn], and the ion share appears to decrease. Coherent reflection of incident ions does not appear to be very important for ion heating at these low Mach numbers, although a low level of reflection may contribute significantly to the generation of the large amplitude waves. Finally, the downstream ion distributions do not show the strong variability previously interpreted as evidence for a cycle re-formation process at higher-Mach-number, quasiparallel shocks. It is possible that the low-Mach-number shocks are re-forming but do not exhibit the downstream variability because of the relatively low levels of reflected ions. 44 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 6589465
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 98:A3; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRONS
HEATING
IONS
SHOCK WAVES
ENERGY LOSSES
COMPRESSION
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ENERGY
ION TEMPERATURE
MACH NUMBER
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA HEATING
REFLECTION
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
LOSSES
VELOCITY
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)