Electron Heating at Shock Waves by a Cosmic Ray Precursor
Abstract
A model developed to understand the heating of quasi-thermal electrons in collisionless shocks associated with supernova remnants is extended to the case of solar wind shocks. Lower hybrid waves are generated in a section of the shock precursor associated with cosmic ray acceleration. In the case that the cosmic rays are relativistic, the ratio of post shock electron temperature to ion temperature Te/Ti ~~ 1/vs2, where vs is the shock velocity. With nonrelativistic cosmic rays, this becomes Te/Ti ~ 1/vs. We compare our model with a survey of solar wind shocks by Schwartz et al. (1988), and discuss prospects for observing such effects in shocks driven by Coronal Mass Ejections. Work supported by NASA LWS Grant NNH05AA051 and by basic research funds of the Office of Naval Research.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUSMSH41A..08R
- Keywords:
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- 2104 Cosmic rays;
- 2139 Interplanetary shocks;
- 2149 MHD waves and turbulence (2752;
- 6050;
- 7836);
- 2159 Plasma waves and turbulence