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Detailed Reference Information |
Macek, W.M., Cairns, I.H., Kurth, W.S. and Gurnett, D.A. (1991). Plasma wave generation near the inner heliospheric shock. Geophysical Research Letters 18: doi: 10.1029/90GL02594. issn: 0094-8276. |
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There is mounting evidence that the Voyager 1 and 2 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft may approach the inner (termination) heliospheric shock near the end of this century. It is argued here, by analogy with planetary bow shocks, that energetic electrons backstreaming from the heliospheric shock along the magnetic field should be unstable to the generation of Langmuir waves by the electron beam instability. Analytic expressions for the cutoff velocity, corresponding to the beam speed of the electrons backstreaming from the shock, are derived for a standard solar wind model. At the front side of the heliosphere the maximum beam velocity is expected to be at the meridian passing through the nose of the shock, which is assumed aligned with the Very Local Inter-Stellar Medium (VLISM) flow. This foreshock region and the associated Langmuir waves are relevant to both the expected in situ observations of the heliospheric boundaries, and to the low-frequency (2--3 kHz) radio emissions observed by the Voyager spacecraft in the outer heliosphere. Provided that these radio emissions are generated by Langmuir waves, the minimum Langmuir wave electric fields at the remote source are estimated to be >3--30 &mgr;V/m. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1991 |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Interplanetary Physics, Heliopause and solar wind termination, Interplanetary Physics, Plasma waves and turbulence |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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