Journal article
EVIDENCE FOR A SHOCK IN INTERSTELLAR PLASMA: VOYAGER 1
Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.778(1), pp.1-5
11/20/2013
DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/778/1/L3
Abstract
Voyager 1 (V1) observed electron plasma oscillations preceding a jump by a factor of 1.4 in the magnetic field intensity B near the end of 2012. The frequency of the electron plasma oscillations gives an electron density n(e) = 0.05 cm(-3), which implies that V1 was immersed in plasma from the interstellar medium. The last day on which plasma oscillations were observed is day 332, 2012, and the jump in the B was centered on day 335, 2012 after a data gap in the wave data. The close association between the electron plasma oscillations and the jump in B suggests a causal connection, such as that frequently observed between electron plasma oscillations and interplanetary shocks at 1 AU. Based on the observed parameters and the smooth profile of B(t), the jump in B appears to be associated with a weak, subcritical, laminar, low beta, quasi-perpendicular, resistive, collisionless shock. However, the width of the jump is of the order of 10(4) times that expected for such a stationary shock at 1 AU. The large width of the jump in B might be the result of differences between the structure of shocks in the interstellar medium and the plasma near 1 AU. Alternatively, the subcritical resistive shock might have decayed during a few days after producing the plasma waves, leaving a broad profile in B(t) without significantly changing ambient parameters. Another possibility is that the jump in B is a pressure wave.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- EVIDENCE FOR A SHOCK IN INTERSTELLAR PLASMA: VOYAGER 1
- Creators
- L. F. Burlaga - Goddard Space Flight CenterN. F. Ness - Catholic University of AmericaD. A. Gurnett - University of IowaW. S. Kurth - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.778(1), pp.1-5
- DOI
- 10.1088/2041-8205/778/1/L3
- ISSN
- 2041-8205
- eISSN
- 2041-8213
- Publisher
- Iop Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 5
- Grant note
- NNX12AC63G; NNG13PM04P; 1415150 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/20/2013
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455658302771
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