Physics
Scientific paper
May 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agusmsh22a..03g&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #SH22A-03
Physics
2114 Energetic Particles (7514), 2124 Heliopause And Solar Wind Termination, 2152 Pickup Ions
Scientific paper
Voyager 1 observations of energetic particles during the crossing of the Termination Shock of the solar wind present a number of puzzles, and challenges to existing acceleration theories. For example, downstream from the shock the low-energy phase space density spectra are power laws exhibiting a remarkably constant spectral index, which is difficult to understand in terms of standard diffusive shock acceleration. Upstream from the shock there are beams of highly anisotropic energetic particles, with varying spectral shapes. Again, diffusive shock acceleration has difficultly in dealing with such large anisotropies. Here we show that the observed, constant spectral index of -5 can be accounted for by a simple theory in which the pressure in the accelerated particles behaves according to the Rankine-Hugoniot relationship of an ideal gas at the shock. We also demonstrate that the observed varying spectral shapes of the upstream beams result from velocity dispersion of a downstream spectrum with index of -5 propagating along magnetic flux tubes connecting the termination shock to Voyager 1. We show that even though the beams dominate the upstream foreshock region, they do not have an appreciable effect on the shock acceleration process. The implications of our theory for the acceleration of the Anomalous Cosmic Rays in the heliosheath are also discussed.
Fisk Len A.
Gloeckler George
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