Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh41a1905h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH41A-1905
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2114] Interplanetary Physics / Energetic Particles, [2139] Interplanetary Physics / Interplanetary Shocks, [7845] Space Plasma Physics / Particle Acceleration, [7851] Space Plasma Physics / Shock Waves
Scientific paper
On August 10, 1998, an interplanetary (IP) shock hit the bow shock of the Earth. The quasi-radial interplanetary magnetic field configuration and the three advantageously located satellites, as illustrated in the figure, made it possible to analyze in detail the different particle acceleration processes as the shocks approached each other. After crossing a tangential discontinuity (TD), the spacecraft moved into a flux tube that was filled with a seed population of energetic particles accelerated by the IP shock (number 1 process in the figure). Since ACE was magnetically connected to the IP shock but not to the bow shock, the seed population could be characterized by its measurements: a constant energy spectrum and flat flux intensity profiles from the TD crossing to the IP shock crossing. During the first part of the event, Wind observed several particle bursts coming from the bow shock direction (2). Later, Wind became continuously connected to both shocks, and measured an increasing flux until the IP shock crossing (3). Geotail was located closest to the Earth and measured the highest peak intensity. Furthermore, immediately after the IP shock crossing Geotail observed a burst of very high energy particles propagating sunwards (4). Based on the velocity dispersion of the burst and the analysis of the geometry of the two shocks, Hietala et al. (2011) inferred that these particles had been released from the magnetic trap between the shocks as they collided. In the present work we use a global 3D test-particle simulation to further study particle acceleration in this event. We concentrate on the last phase of the shock-shock interaction, when the particles were accelerated and released as the two shocks collided. The first simulation results support the interpretation that shock-shock interaction was the key factor contributing to the observed intensity profiles. Hietala et al. JGR (2011), in press.
Hietala H.
Sandroos Arto
Vainio Rami O.
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