Evidence for specularly reflected ions upstream from the quasi-parallel bow shock
Ion velocity distributions in the form of bunches of gyrating particles traveling along helical paths have been observed moving sunward immediately upstream from quasi-parallel parts of the earth's bow shock specular reflection at the shock of a portion of the incident solar wind ions. In particular, the guiding center motion and the gyrospeeds of the gyrating ions are quantitatively consistent with simple geometrical consideration for specular reflection. These considerations reveal that specularly reflected ions can escape upstream for THETA/sub Bn/<45/sup 0/ but not for THETA/sub Bn/>45/sup 0/ (where THETA/sub Bn/ is the angle between the upstream magnetic field, B and the local shock normal n). These upstream gyrating ions are an important signature of one of the processes by which solar wind streaming energy is dissipated into other forms of energy at the shock.
- Research Organization:
- University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
- OSTI ID:
- 6791899
- Journal Information:
- Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 9:12
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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