Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock

Details Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock

Aug 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009jgra..11408217m&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 114, Issue A8, CiteID A08217

Physics

Plasma Physics

3

Interplanetary Physics: Planetary Bow Shocks, Interplanetary Physics: Solar Wind Plasma, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Saturn, Space Plasma Physics: Discontinuities (2109)

Scientific paper

We present evidence for the occurrence of hot flow anomalies (HFAs) at Saturn's bow shock. A survey of Cassini magnetic field and electron data taken upstream of the dawn flank bow shock is carried out in order to identify Kronian HFAs. Seventeen events are identified that were all associated with energization of the solar wind electrons and satisfied the majority of the conditions for HFA formation. The majority of the events possessed a central cavity of rarefied plasma; however, for two of the events the central cavity was over dense, possibly indicating that these examples were at an early stage of formation. For the event that occurred on 8 November 2004 the calculation of ion moments is possible, revealing an ion temperature increase by a factor of ˜800 in the central region of the event that was associated with a significant deflection of the solar wind bulk flow. The spatial extent of the event was ˜4.6 Saturn radii in the direction normal to the current sheet underlying the event. Pressure calculations imply that the heated central region was expanding at the time of the encounter. We conclude that the 8 November 2004 event was a spacecraft encounter with an HFA at Saturn's bow shock and we propose that the other 16 events identified by the survey were also HFA encounters. These observations suggest that HFAs are a solar-system-wide phenomenon.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hot flow anomalies at Saturn's bow shock will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-834289