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Evidence for slow‐mode shocks in the deep geomagnetic tail
Author(s) -
Feldman W. C.,
Schwartz S. J.,
Bame S. J.,
Baker D. N.,
Birn J.,
Gosling J. T.,
Hones E. W.,
McComas D. J.,
Slavin J. A.,
Smith E. J.,
Zwickl R. D.
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i006p00599
Subject(s) - earth's magnetic field , plasma sheet , physics , geophysics , magnetic reconnection , plasma , shock (circulatory) , mode (computer interface) , diffusion , substorm , solar wind , current sheet , magnetosphere , astrophysics , magnetic field , magnetohydrodynamics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , medicine , thermodynamics , operating system
Plasma and field data from the ISEE‐3 space probe provide evidence that the lobe‐plasma sheet boundary in the central part of the distant geomagnetic tail is often a slow‐mode shock. Such shocks are predicted by Petchek's model of reconnection. If this model applies, then the ISEE‐3 observations place the general location of the reconnection diffusion region closer to the earth than x ≈ −100 R E .