Pickup ion dynamics at the heliospheric termination shock observed by Voyager 2

Details Pickup ion dynamics at the heliospheric termination shock observed by Voyager 2 Pickup ion dynamics at the heliospheric termination shock observed by Voyager 2

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsh21b1818b&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SH21B-1818

Physics

Plasma Physics

[0654] Electromagnetics / Plasmas, [2124] Interplanetary Physics / Heliopause And Solar Wind Termination, [2152] Interplanetary Physics / Pickup Ions, [7851] Space Plasma Physics / Shock Waves

Scientific paper

The recent Voyager 2 (V2) observations of the termination shock (TS) indicate that it is a plasma shock unlike any other in the heliosphere with the dynamics and structure heavily influenced by the presence of an energized population of pickup ions (PUIs). The `unexpected' finding of cold plasma downstream of the TS in the heliosheath, corresponding to very little heating of the thermal solar wind, suggests that the energy dissipated by the shock is dominated by the energization of PUIs at the TS. We examine the `shock surfing' mechanism at the test particle level, where multiply reflected ions (MRIs) gain energy from the motional electric field as a consequence of reflection from the cross-shock potential, for a model of the TS3 (the third TS crossing measured by V2). The energization of PUI filled-shell distributions at a stationary, perpendicular model of the TS3 indicates that shock surfing can provide both substantial PUI acceleration and a dissipation mechanism at the TS. For a sufficiently strong cross-shock potential and sufficiently narrow shock ramp MRI acceleration can account for the `missing' energy of the downstream solar wind plasma.

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