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Abstract We present Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of electrostatic double layers in quasi‐perpendicular Earth's bow shock. These double layers have predominantly parallel electric field with amplitudes up to 100 mV/m, spatial widths of 50–700 m, and plasma frame speeds within 100 km/s. The potential drop across a single double layer is 2%–7% of the cross‐shock potential in the de Hoffmann‐Teller frame and occurs over the spatial scale of 10 Debye lengths or one tenth of electron inertial length. Some double layers can have spatial width of 70 Debye lengths and potential drop up to 30% of the cross‐shock potential. The electron temperature variation observed across double layers is roughly consistent with their potential drop. While electron heating in the Earth's bow shock occurs predominantly due to the quasi‐static electric field in the de Hoffmann‐Teller frame, these observations show that electron temperature can also increase across Debye‐scale electrostatic structures.
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Ion‐Acoustic Waves in a Quasi‐Perpendicular Earth's Bow Shock
Abstract We present analysis of electrostatic waves around the ramp of a quasi‐perpendicular Earth's bow shock observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. The electrostatic waves have amplitudes up to 800 mV/m, which is the largest value ever reported in the Earth's bow shock. In contrast to previous studies, the electrostatic waves have large amplitudes of the electrostatic potential, up to 20 V or 20% of local electron temperature. The wavelengths are from 150 m to 3 km, that is from 15 to 300 Debye lengths and typically from 0.4 to 1.5 thermal electron gyroradii. Importantly, these waves can propagate not only quasi‐parallel or oblique, but also almost perpendicular to local magnetic field. The electrostatic waves are interpreted in terms of ion‐acoustic waves, although the presence of electron cyclotron harmonic waves cannot be entirely ruled out. These results suggest that electrostatic waves may strongly affect the dynamics of electrons in collisionless shocks.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2026680
- PAR ID:
- 10444480
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume:
- 49
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 0094-8276
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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