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Observations of Impulsive Electric Fields Induced by Interplanetary Shock
Author(s) -
Zhang Dianjun,
Liu Wenlong,
Li Xinlin,
Sarris Theodore,
Xiao Chao,
Wygant J. R.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl078809
Subject(s) - physics , solar wind , interplanetary spaceflight , electric field , magnetosphere , interplanetary magnetic field , impulse (physics) , dynamic pressure , geophysics , magnetopause , shock (circulatory) , interplanetary medium , amplitude , atmospheric sciences , computational physics , mechanics , plasma , classical mechanics , optics , medicine , quantum mechanics
We investigate the characteristics of impulsive electric fields in the Earth's magnetosphere, as measured by the Van Allen Probes, in association with interplanetary shocks, as measured by Advanced Composition Explorer and Wind spacecraft in the solar wind from January 2013 to July 2016. It is shown that electric field impulses are mainly induced by global compressions by the shocks, mostly in the azimuthal direction, and the amplitudes of the initial electric field impulses are positively correlated with the rate of increase of the dynamic pressure across the shock in the dayside. It is also shown that the temporal profile of the impulse is related to the temporal profile of the solar wind dynamic pressure, P d . It is suggested that during the first period of the impulse, the evolution of the electric field is directly controlled by external solar wind forcing, and thus, finite rates of change of P d should be considered in the study of the interactions between solar wind and magnetosphere. The implications of shock‐induced impulsive electric fields on the acceleration and transport of radiation belt electrons are also discussed.