Fine Structures at the Front of the Quasi-perpendicular Terrestrial Bow Shock Observed by Cluster

The main process that takes place at the front of a collision-less shock is the redistribution of upstream energy carried by the solar wind into thermalisation the of the bulk flow and the acceleration of a fraction of the plasma particles. Since ISEE results it is known that macro electro and magnetic field structure plays an important role in the energy redistribution at the terrestrial bow shock in the quasi-perpendicular regime. The present paper is devoted to the fine structure of the field within the shock front as observed by Cluster and the effect these structures have on the plasma dynamics at the shock front.