Cluster-CIS observations of bow shock-reflected ions

Details Cluster-CIS observations of bow shock-reflected ions Cluster-CIS observations of bow shock-reflected ions

Dec 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agufmsm22a0782m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2001, abstract #SM22A-0782

Physics

2116 Energetic Particles, Planetary, 2134 Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, 2149 Mhd Waves And Turbulence, 2154 Planetary Bow Shocks, 2164 Solar Wind Plasma

Scientific paper

We present observations of E <= 40 keV/e ions measured by the Cluster Ion Spectrometry experiment at ~ 0.5 RE upstream of the bow shock. The ions were simultaneously observed by three of the spacecraft. The proton and helium ion distributions are analyzed at 4-second time resolution. These ion distributions are observed in association with low-frequency waves having substantial amplitudes (Δ B/B ~ 1). Both proton and helium intensities are modulated in correlation with the angle θ Bn, between the instantaneous magnetic field direction and the local shock normal. Because of the presence high amplitude magnetic fluctuations, the shock switches periodically from the quasi-parallel (θ Bn < 45o) to the quasi-perpendicular (θ Bn > 45o) regime. The ion intensity is higher by one order of magnitude for ions observed at the quasi-parallel shock, compared to those observed at the quasi-perpendicular shock. However, the peak of the energy spectrum is located at a higher energy in the quasi-perpendicular shock regime. Moreover, the the angular distributions indicate that the ions are gyrophase-bunched with one or two gyrophase domains, depending upon the instantaneous value of θ Bn. Using CIS data from three of the spacecraft, we investigate the possibility that the ion distributions are produced by a specular reflection at the shock. We also examine how the presence of the low-frequency waves affects the observed properties of the ion distributions.

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