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Thin sheets of energetic electrons upstream from the Earth’s bow shock
Author(s) -
Anderson K. A.,
Lin R. P.,
Martel F.,
Lin C. S.,
Parks G. K.,
Rème H.
Publication year - 1979
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/gl006i005p00401
Subject(s) - bow wave , bow shock (aerodynamics) , physics , electron , solar wind , plasma sheet , magnetosheath , shock wave , shock (circulatory) , geophysics , interplanetary magnetic field , interplanetary medium , plasma , atomic physics , interplanetary spaceflight , magnetopause , magnetosphere , mechanics , nuclear physics , medicine
ISEE spacecraft observations show that energetic, ≥ 16 keV electrons are injected into the region upstream from the Earth’s bow shock in a thin sheet which lies just behind the sheet of interplanetary magnetic field lines that are tangent to the shock surface. Lower energy electrons leave the shock over a much broader region. Although the energetic electron intensity varies, the sheet is nearly always present and may be a quasi‐steady state feature of the bow shock. The electron velocity distribution in the thin sheet is strongly peaked and is responsible for excitation of electron plasma waves.