Density Holes Upstream of Earth's Bow Shock (Invited)

Details Density Holes Upstream of Earth's Bow Shock (Invited) Density Holes Upstream of Earth's Bow Shock (Invited)

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm23b..01p&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM23B-01

Physics

Plasma Physics

[2164] Interplanetary Physics / Solar Wind Plasma, [2784] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, [7829] Space Plasma Physics / Kinetic Waves And Instabilities, [7839] Space Plasma Physics / Nonlinear Phenomena

Scientific paper

Larmor size transient structures with density depletions as large as 99% of ambient solar wind density levels occur commonly upstream of Earth’s bow shock. Analysis of ~150 events show “density holes” have a mean duration of 17.9±10.4s but holes as short as 4s have been observed. The average fractional density depletion δn/n inside the hole is ~0.68±0.14. The density of the upstream edge moving in the sunward direction can be enhanced by five or more times the solar wind density. Particle distributions (ions and electrons) and waves show the steepened edge can behave like a shock, and measured local field geometries and Mach number support this view. The waves appear to steepen as the density holes are convected with the solar wind toward the Earth. Substantial heating of ions and electrons are observed inside density holes. Similarly shaped magnetic holes accompany the density holes indicating strong coupling between fields and particles. The mechanisms for producing density holes are still not known. However, density holes are associated with current sheets and observed only with upstream particles, giving strong constraints as to how density holes are produced.

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