Heating and generation of suprathermal particles at collisionless shocks

Conference · Mon Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6750616

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.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
• OSTI ID: 6750616
• Report Number(s): CONF-8408121-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 144:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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