Abstract : We carried out global Particle-in-Cell simulations of the interaction between the solar wind and a
magnetosphere to study the kinetic collisionless physics in super-critical quasi-perpendicular
shocks. After an initial simulation transient, a collisionless bow shock forms as a result of the interaction
of the solar wind and a planet magnetic dipole. The shock ramp has a thickness of approximately
one ion skin depth and is followed by a trailing wave train in the shock downstream. At the
downstream edge of the bow shock, whistler waves propagate along the magnetic field lines and
the presence of electron cyclotron waves has been identified. A small part of the solar wind ion
population is specularly reflected by the shock while a larger part is deflected and heated by the
shock. Solar wind ions and electrons are heated in the perpendicular directions. Ions are accelerated
in the perpendicular direction in the trailing wave train region. This work is an initial effort to study
the electron and ion kinetic effects developed near the bow shock in a realistic magnetic field
configuration.
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01255467
Contributor : Nathalie Pothier
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Submitted on : Wednesday, January 13, 2016 - 5:10:34 PM
Last modification on : Thursday, July 25, 2019 - 4:16:02 PM
Long-term archiving on : Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 9:40:32 AM
Peng Bo, Stefano Markidis, Erwin Laure, Andreas Johlander, Andris Vaivads, et al.. Kinetic structures of quasi-perpendicular shocks in global particle-in-cell simulations. Physics of Plasmas, American Institute of Physics, 2015, 22, 092109 (9 p.). ⟨10.1063/1.4930212.1⟩. ⟨insu-01255467⟩
