Observational test of hot flow anomaly formation by the interaction of a magnetic discontinuity with the bow shock

Details Observational test of hot flow anomaly formation by the interaction of a magnetic discontinuity with the bow shock Observational test of hot flow anomaly formation by the interaction of a magnetic discontinuity with the bow shock

Sep 1993

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993jgr....9815319t&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 98, no. A9, p. 15,319-15,330.

Physics

27

Bow Waves, Earth (Planet), Electric Fields, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Shock Waves, Anomalies, Current Sheets, Discontinuity, Mathematical Models

Scientific paper

The formation of a hot flow anomaly (HFA) observed near the Earth's bow shock appears to be due to the interaction between the bow shock and an impinging discontinuity in the upstream plasma. Recent single-particle and 2D hybrid numerical studies have suggested that such an interaction will produce an HFA only if the motional electric field in the ambient plasma points toward the discontinuity, thereby focusing shock-reflected ions into it. We perform a test of this electric field orientation for a set of nine HFA events observed by the ISEE spacecraft and described previously in the literature. Under the assumption that the discontinuities were tangential, the predicted electric field orientation is found on at least one side of all nine observed HFAs (on the trailing edge of seven and the leading edge of five, and on both sides of three events). Further, there is evidence that asymmetries in the observed magnetic field signatures are related to the orientation of the motional electric field. The events in which the electric field points toward the discontinuity on both sides tend to be those with fairly symmetric flanking magnetic field enhancements.

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