| 1. |
- Bale, S. D., et al.
(author)
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The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus
- 2016
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In: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 204:1-4, s. 49-82
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will make the first in situ measurements of the solar corona and the birthplace of the solar wind. The FIELDS instrument suite on SPP will make direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, the properties of in situ plasma waves, electron density and temperature profiles, and interplanetary radio emissions, amongst other things. Here, we describe the scientific objectives targeted by the SPP/FIELDS instrument, the instrument design itself, and the instrument concept of operations and planned data products.
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| 2. |
- Vasko, I. Y., et al.
(author)
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Solitary Waves Across Supercritical Quasi-Perpendicular Shocks
- 2018
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:12, s. 5809-5817
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We consider intense electrostatic solitary waves (ESW) observed in a supercritical quasi-perpendicular Earth's bow shock crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. The ESW have spatial scales of a few tens of meters (a few Debye lengths) and propagate oblique to a local quasi-static magnetic field with velocities from a few tens to a few hundred kilometers per second in the spacecraft frame. Because the ESW spatial scales are comparable to the separation between voltage-sensitive probes, correction factors are used to compute the ESW electric fields. The ESW have electric fields with amplitudes exceeding 600mV/m (oriented oblique to the local magnetic field) and negative electrostatic potentials with amplitudes of a few tenths of the electron temperature. The negative electrostatic potentials indicate that the ESW are not electron phase space holes, while interpretation in terms of ions phase space holes is also questionable. Whatever is their nature, we show that due to the oblique electric field orientation the ESW are capable of efficient pitch-angle scattering and isotropization of thermal electrons. Due to the negative electrostatic potentials the ESW Fermi reflects a significant fraction of the thermal electrons streaming from upstream (downstream) back to upstream (downstream) region, thereby affecting the shock dynamics. The role of the ESW in electron heating is discussed. Plain Language Summary Processes governing electron thermalization across shock waves are not entirely understood. The high resolution particle and 3-D electric field measurements provided by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission make it possible to study the Earth's bow shock that is an excellent laboratory for addressing the electron thermalization across supercritical shock waves. Previous observations showed that electron heating across the bow shock is generally governed by macroscopic cross-shock electrostatic field. On the other hand, the role of the turbulence observed across the bow shock in the electron thermalization has remained unclear. In this letter we consider a particular bow shock crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and focus on the role of the high amplitude electrostatic solitary waves in the electron thermalization process. We accurately estimate the electrostatic solitary wave parameters and show that due to electric fields oriented oblique to a local DC magnetic field and negative electrostatic potentials with amplitudes of a few tenths of the electron temperature, these Debye-scale structures are capable of efficient pitch angle scattering, Fermi reflection, and isotropization of thermal electrons.
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| 3. |
- Hanson, E. L. M., et al.
(author)
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Cross-Shock Potential in Rippled Versus Planar Quasi-Perpendicular Shocks Observed by MMS
- 2019
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:5, s. 2381-2389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The unprecedented detail of measurements by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft enable deeper investigation of quasi-perpendicular collisionless shocks. We compare shock normals, planarities, and Normal Incidence Frame cross-shock potentials determined from electric field measurements and proxies, for a subcritical interplanetary shock and a supercritical bow shock. The subcritical shock's cross-shock potential was 26 +/- 6 V. The shock scale was 33 km, too short to allow comparison with proxies from ion moments. Proxies from electron moments provided potential estimates of 40 +/- 5 V. Shock normals from magnetic field minimum variance analysis were nearly identical, indicating a planar front. The supercritical shock's cross-shock potential was estimated to be from 290 to 440 V from the different spacecraft measurements, with shock scale 120 km. Reflected ions contaminated the ion-based proxies upstream, whereas electron-based proxies yielded reasonable estimates of 250 +/- 50 V. Shock normals from electric field maximum variance analysis differed, indicating a rippled front. Plain Language Summary An important problem in shock physics is understanding how the incoming plasma flow is thermalized across the shock. The role of the cross-shock electric field has not been well studied. We compare measurements and implicit estimates of cross-shock potential for a quasi-perpendicular weak (low Mach) shock and a quasi-perpendicular strong (moderate/high Mach) shock using data from the four Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites. The weak shock had lower cross-shock potential in the Normal Incidence Frame (about 30 V) than the strong shock (about 300 V). We also estimated the potential deduced from ion and electron data. Electron-based estimates agreed reasonably well with the measurements, but ion-based estimates encountered problems. The weak shock was too short compared to the ion data sampling period, while the strong shock reflected ions back into the upstream flow. Data from individual spacecraft indicated that the surface of the strong shock was not flat but rippled, one reason why its measured potential showed such a broad range.
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| 4. |
- Dimmock, Andrew P., et al.
(author)
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Direct evidence of nonstationary collisionless shocks in space plasmas
- 2019
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In: Science Advances. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 2375-2548. ; 5:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous throughout the universe: around stars, supernova remnants, active galactic nuclei, binary systems, comets, and planets. Key information is carried by electromagnetic emissions from particles accelerated by high Mach number collisionless shocks. These shocks are intrinsically nonstationary, and the characteristic physical scales responsible for particle acceleration remain unknown. Quantifying these scales is crucial, as it affects the fundamental process of redistributing upstream plasma kinetic energy into other degrees of freedom-particularly electron thermalization. Direct in situ measurements of nonstationary shock dynamics have not been reported. Thus, the model that best describes this process has remained unknown. Here, we present direct evidence demonstrating that the transition to nonstationarity is associated with electron-scale field structures inside the shock ramp.
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