Conference proceeding
Plasma waves associated with the termination shock
PHYSICS OF THE INNER HELIOSHEATH: VOYAGER OBSERVATIONS, THEORY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS, Vol.858, pp.116-121
AIP Conference Proceedings
01/01/2006
DOI: 10.1063/1.2359315
Abstract
Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock of the heliosphere on December 16, 2004 and provided our first opportunity to examine this unique boundary and associated processes. A common wave phenomenon that is often observed upstream of shocks in the solar wind are Langmuir waves, or electron plasma oscillations. Langmuir waves were observed sporadically by Voyager 1 for nearly a year prior to the termination shock crossing. The Langmuir waves are thought to be produced by a bump-on-tail electron distribution consisting of beams of electrons coming from the shock, and are usually produced by a velocity selection effect caused by the convection of the solar wind. In fact, evidence for such electron beams was found in conjunction with Langmuir waves observed on the day prior to the termination shock crossing. Voyager 2, which trails Voyager 1 in heliocentric distance by about 19 AU, is now approaching the termination shock and promises a second opportunity with which to observe the region near this boundary. We assess the usefulness of Langmuir waves as a predictor of an impending shock crossing, using the Voyager I experience as a guide.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Plasma waves associated with the termination shock
- Creators
- W. S. Kurth - University of IowaD. A. Gurnett - University of IowaR. B. Decker - Johns Hopkins University
- Contributors
- J Heerikhuisen (Editor)Vladimir Florinski (Editor)G P Zank (Editor)N V Pogorelov (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- PHYSICS OF THE INNER HELIOSHEATH: VOYAGER OBSERVATIONS, THEORY, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS, Vol.858, pp.116-121
- Publisher
- Amer Inst Physics
- Series
- AIP Conference Proceedings
- DOI
- 10.1063/1.2359315
- ISSN
- 0094-243X
- eISSN
- 1551-7616
- Number of pages
- 2
- Grant note
- 959193 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) NNG05G021G / JHU/APL by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2006
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455271702771
Metrics
1 Record Views