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Maximum Langmuir fields in planetary foreshocks determined from the electrostatic decay threshold
Author(s) -
Robinson P. A.,
Cairns Iver H.
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1029/95gl01779
Subject(s) - physics , foreshock , plasma , beam (structure) , spacecraft , electric field , computational physics , astrophysics , atomic physics , geophysics , nuclear physics , astronomy , optics , geology , quantum mechanics , seismology , aftershock
Maximum electric fields of Langmuir waves at planetary foreshocks are estimated from the threshold for electrostatic decay, assuming it saturates beam‐driven growth, and incorporating heliospheric variation of plasma density and temperature. Comparison with spacecraft observations yields good quantitative agreement. Observations in type III radio sources are also in accord with this interpretation. A single mechanism can thus account for the highest fields of beam driven waves in both contexts.