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Trávnícek et al. 2005
Trávnícek, P., Hellinger, P., Schriver, D. and Bale, S.D. (2005). Structure of the lunar wake: Two-dimensional global hybrid simulations. Geophysical Research Letters 32: doi: 10.1029/2004GL022243. issn: 0094-8276.

We study the structure and properties of the lunar wake with these solar wind parameters: the angle $theta$sw between directions of the solar wind velocity vsw and the ambient interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B $theta$sw = 45¿ and 90¿ and vsw = 6vA (where vA denotes solar wind Alfv¿n velocity). We examine the structure of the wake-tail formed behind the obstacle. In agreement with in situ observations the lunar wake is formed by two counterstreaming beams which fill the wake with a relatively cold, inhomogeneous and highly anisotropic plasma. The results of this study suggest that for given solar wind conditions the downstream region of the lunar wake is dominated by electromagnetic turbulence with the frequencies near the local proton gyrofrequency. The properties and possible generating mechanisms of the low-frequency electromagnetic turbulence are discussed.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Numerical modeling, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind interactions with unmagnetized bodies, Planetary Sciences, Solar System Objects, Moon, Space Plasma Physics, Kinetic waves and instabilities
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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