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Ion heating in oblique low‐Mach number shocks
Author(s) -
Gedalin M.
Publication year - 1997
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 - 10.1029/97gl02524
Subject(s) - mach number , shock (circulatory) , ion , physics , oblique shock , mechanics , atomic physics , shock wave , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , medicine
The contribution of the directly transmitted ions to ion heating in the low‐Mach number oblique shock is determined analytically. We derive approximate expressions for the pressure tensor inside the ramp of a low‐Mach number low‐ β shock. In the thin shock limit the ion state equation p ∝ n ³ is recovered within the ramp, which corresponds to the complete demagnetization of ions and effective one‐dimensional behavior. We derive the estimate for the maximum downstream temperature of the heated ion distribution, which depends only on the magnetic compression ratio and cross‐shock potential, and may be verified observationally.