Swedish Space Plasma Physics Workshop 2016, Stockholm, KTH

Shock non-stationary observed by MMS

Not scheduled

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Speaker

Mr Andreas Johlander (IRF Uppsala)

Description

Shock non-stationarity is a known problem within collisionless shock physics. Shock non- stationarity is important because it can influence the fraction of ions that are reflected and accelerated. In simulations, shock surfaces have been shown to fluctuate quasi-periodically with frequency roughly equal to the ion gyroperiod. We present in situ, multi-spacecraft observations by the MMS spacecraft of shock non-stationarity at the quasi-perpendicular terrestrial bow shock. The spacecraft separation is well below the ion gyroradius. Therefore, we can study the shock on small spatial scales. We present observations, which show time-variability in ion reflection and subsequent shock drift acceleration. Because of the small spacecraft separation and high-time- resolution ion data, MMS allows for a detailed study of shock non-stationarity.