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Detailed Reference Information
Meziane et al. 2003
Meziane, K., Wilber, M., Lin, R.P. and Parks, G.K. (2003). Gyrophase-restricted 100 keV–2 MeV ion beams near the foreshock boundary. Geophysical Research Letters 30: doi: 10.1029/2003GL017592. issn: 0094-8276.

We report on gyrophase-restricted ion beams with energies extending from ~100 keV up to ~2 MeV, observed by Wind in the Earth's distant (~65 RE) foreshock. The ion gyrophases seen were nearly constant during periods when the distance to the shock contact point could be expected to vary by several RE, when there was no significant wave activity. At times the distributions had two peaks ~180¿ apart in gyrophase. These were consistent with a remotely-sensed energetic ion foreshock region having a thickness <2 gyroradii (~1.5 RE for 0.5 MeV protons with pitch-angle α = 30¿). In this picture, gaps in phase space would correspond to particles with guiding centers outside of the energetic foreshock region. Similar observations over a decade of energies (100 keV--2 MeV) suggest that the region thickness scales with gyroradius. According to this interpretation, we have determined a rough range of geometries for which energetic particle production is favored. (Eg., θBn ~70--80¿ for 500 keV ions with α = 30¿.)

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Interplanetary Physics, Energetic particles, heliospheric, Interplanetary Physics, Planetary bow shocks, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions, Space Plasma Physics, Charged particle motion and acceleration, Space Plasma Physics, Shock waves
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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