The determination of shock ramp width using the noncoplanar magnetic field component
Abstract
We determine a simple expression for the ramp width of a collisionless fast shock, based upon the relationship between the noncoplanar and main magnetic field components. By comparing this predicted width with that measured during an observation of a shock, the shock velocity can be determined from a single spacecraft. For a range of low-Mach, low-beta bow shock observations made by the ISEE-1 and -2 spacecraft, ramp widths determined from two-spacecraft comparison and from this noncoplanar component relationship agree within 30%. When two-spacecraft measurements are not available or are inefficient, this technique provides a reasonable estimation of scale size for low-Mach shocks.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/9702009,
title = {The determination of shock ramp width using the noncoplanar magnetic field component},
author = {J. A. Newbury and C. T. Russell and M. Gedalin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/9702009},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
6 pages, LaTeX (aguplus + agutex); packages:amsmath,times,graphicx,float, psfrag,verbatim; 3 postscript figures called by the file; submitted to Geophys. Res. Lett