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Whang 1988
Whang, Y.C. (1988). Evolution of interplanetary slow shocks. Journal of Geophysical Research 93: doi: 10.1029/88JA01022. issn: 0148-0227.

The possible existence of traveling forward slow shocks, their global geometry and their transition to forward fast shocks have been discussed in a recent paper. The decrease in the Alfven speed at increasing heliocentric distance causes the evolution of a forward slow shock into a forward fast shock. During the transition the shock system consists of a slow shock, a fast shock, and a rotational discontinuity. This paper continues to discuss three aspects about the evolution of interplanetary slow shocks. We first present a survey of slow shock solutions in a three-dimensional A, &thgr;, &bgr; parameter space. Here A=Un/(a cos &thgr;) is the shock Alfven number, Un the normal component of the relative shock speed, a the Alfven speed, &thgr; the acute angle between the shock normal and the magnetic field, and &bgr; the ratio of the thermal pressure p to the magnetic pressure B2/8&pgr;. In a region where the plasma &bgr; value is on the order of 1 or greater, the jumps in thermodynamic properties across a slow shock are small but the directional changes for the magnetic field and the relative flow velocity are not necessarily small. On the other hand, in the region where the plasma &bgr; value is on the order of 0.1 or less, the jumps of all physical properties across a slow shock may vary over a wide range of magnitudes. Next, we discuss that at the onset of the transition process an interplanetary slow shock smoothly converts to a system consisting of a slow shock, a very weak rotational discontinuity (an Alfven wave), and a very weak fast shock (a fast MHD wave). We also show that during the transition, the amplitude of fluctuations in flow velocity and magnetic fields are large in the turbulent region behind the fast shock.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Interplanetary Physics, Interplanetary shocks, Interplanetary Physics, Solar wind plasma, Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy, Flares, Space Plasma Physics, Shock waves
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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