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Electron velocity space hole modes and narrowband electrostatic noise in the distant tail
Author(s) -
Coroniti Ferdinand V.,
AshourAbdalla Maha
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i007p00747
Subject(s) - physics , electron , narrowband , shock (circulatory) , noise (video) , atomic physics , computational physics , upstream (networking) , plasma , shock wave , optics , quantum mechanics , mechanics , medicine , computer network , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
Narrowband electrostatic noise (NEN) is frequently observed upstream of the slow shocks in the distant tail. We suggest that NEN represents a non‐standard plasma wave mode which results from a hole in the low energy electron velocity distribution. A very simple model which plausibly indicates how a hole might be formed by the interaction of the electrons with the slow shock is presented. The hole mode is destabilized by a positive slope in the parallel electron distribution and/or by a weak beam of energetic ions which escape upstream from the slow shock.