Ion Acceleration at the Earth’s Bow Shock

The Earth’s bow shock is the most studied example of a collisionless shock in the solar system. It is also widely used to model or predict the behaviour at other astrophysical shock systems. Spacecraft observations, theoretical modelling and numerical simulations have led to a detailed understanding of the bow shock structure, the spatial organization of the components making up the shock interaction system, as well as fundamental shock processes such as particle heating and acceleration. In this paper we review the observations of accelerated ions at and upstream of the terrestrial bow shock and discuss the models and theories used to explain them. We describe the global morphology of the quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel shock regions and the foreshock. The acceleration processes for field-aligned beams and diffuse ion distribution types are discussed with connection to foreshock morphology and shock structure. The different possible mechanisms for extracting solar wind ions into the acceleration processes are also described. Despite several decades of study, there still remain some unsolved problems concerning ion acceleration at the bow shock, and we summarize these challenges.     

Theory of movement of irregularities in the ionosphere

We review and criticize theoretical works on the movement of irregularities in the ionosphere. It is shown that the basic question of the problem has already been answered. We point out unsolved problems relative to growth and decay of irregularities in an application of the present theories.     

EIT Waves: A Changing Understanding over a Solar Cycle

We present here a review of observations and the current theories that attempt to explain coronal EIT waves. EIT waves were first observed by SOHO-EIT in 1996. Since then, careful analysis has shown that they are related to various other phenomena, such as: CMEs, coronal dimming regions, Moreton waves, and transverse coronal loop oscillations. Over the years, myriad theories have been proposed to explain EIT waves. Early attempts, while elegant, relied heavily on theories based on pre-coronal observations. More recent work, which tends to consider a larger data pool, has led to two competing theoretical camps: wave vs. non-wave models; in many cases, proposed hypotheses flatly contradict each other. Sifting through these seemingly-incongruous models requires a thorough understanding of the available data, as some observations make certain theories more difficult to justify. However, some questions still do not appear resolvable with current data and will likely require help from the next generation of coronal telescopes.     

Deducing turbulence parameters from transionospheric scintillation measurements

The theoretical framework and experimental methodology used to interpret observations of ionospheric scintillations in terms of geophysical processes are reviewed and recent experimental observations of ionospheric scintillations are discussed in this paper. During the past 15 years significant progress has been made in several areas. In particular, significant advances have been made in theoretical understanding of the strong scintillation regime and the effects of short-term temporal variations of the scintillation producing irregularities on observations made with spaced-receiver geometries in both weak and strong scintillations. This improved understanding of the scintillation process has significantly increased the utility of the technique particularly in the equatorial latitudes where geometrical effects are least important.     

Magnetic Field Observations of Transient Events at Ulysses, 1996–2000

During the years 1996–2000 solar activity has been gradually rising and is now close to maximum. At the same time the Ulysses spacecraft has performed a north to south traverse of the low latitude regions of the heliosphere and is now once again travelling through high southerly latitudes. We show some examples and report on the occurence rates of transient solar wind disturbances which have been identified by their magnetic field signatures. ‘Magnetic clouds’ remain more common at low (compared to high) latitudes despite the rise in solar activity. However, more events were observed at high latitudes than at solar minimum. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cosmic Ray Modulation over the Poles at Solar Maximum: Observations

Our knowledge of how galactic and anomalous cosmic rays are modulated in the inner heliosphere has been dramatically enlarged as a result of measurements from several missions launched in the past ten years. Among them, Ulysses explored the polar regions of the inner heliosphere during the last solar minimum period and is now revisiting southern polar latitudes under solar maximum conditions. This gives us for the first time the possibility to compare modulation of cosmic rays at high heliographic latitudes during such different time periods. We present data from different instruments on board the Ulysses spacecraft together with 1 AU measurements in the ecliptic. In this paper we focus on measurements that have direct implications for our understanding of modulation of cosmic rays in the inner heliosphere. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The clouds of Venus

The current state of knowledge of the Venusian clouds is reviewed. The visible clouds of Venus are shown to be quite similar to low level terrestrial hazes of strong anthropogenic influence. Possible nucleation and particle growth mechanisms are presented. The Pioneer Venus experiments that emphasize cloud measurements are described and their expected findings are discussed in detail. The results of these experiments should define the cloud particle composition, microphysics, thermal and radiative heat budget, rough dynamical features and horizontal and vertical variations in these and other parameters. This information should be sufficient to initialize cloud models which can be used to explain the cloud formation, decay, and particle life cycle.     

On the Radial Evolution of Alfvénic Turbulence in the Solar Wind

The observations at different solar distances and latitudes, collected in the past three decades, and the results obtained from more and more sophisticated numerical simulations allowed us to reach a good understanding on many aspects of the complex phenomenon of solar wind turbulence. Moreover, new interesting insights in the theory of turbulence have been obtained, in the past decade, from the point of view that considers a turbulent flow as a complex system, where chaotic behavior and well-established scaling laws coexist. This review aims to provide a quick overview on the state of art in this research field with particular focus on local generation mechanisms.     

Corotating Interaction Regions at High Latitudes

Ulysses observed a stable strong CIR from early 1992 through 1994 during its first journey into the southern hemisphere. After the rapid latitude scan in early 1995, Ulysses observed a weaker CIR from early 1996 to mid-1997 in the northern hemisphere as it traveled back to the ecliptic at the orbit of Jupiter. These two CIRs are the observational basis of the investigation into the latitudinal structure of CIRs. The first CIR was caused by an extension of the northern coronal hole into the southern hemisphere during declining solar activity, whereas the second CIR near solar minimum activity was caused by small warps in the streamer belt. The latitudinal structure is described through the presentation of three 26-day periods during the southern CIR. The first at ∼24°S shows the full plasma interaction region including fast and slow wind streams, the compressed shocked flows with embedded stream interface and heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and the forward and reverse shocks with associated accelerated ions and electrons. The second at 40°S exhibits only the reverse shock, accelerated particles, and the 26-day modulation of cosmic rays. The third at 60°S shows only the accelerated particles and modulated cosmic rays. The possible mechanisms for the access of the accelerated particles and the CIR-modulated cosmic rays to high latitudes above the plasma interaction region are presented. They include direct magnetic field connection across latitude due to stochastic field line weaving or to systematic weaving caused by solar differential rotation combined with non-radial expansion of the fast wind. Another possible mechanism is particle diffusion across the average magnetic field, which includes stochastic field line weaving. A constraint on connection to a distant portion of the CIR is energy loss in the solar wind, which is substantial for the relatively slow-moving accelerated ions. Finally, the weaker northern CIR is compared with the southern CIR. It is weak because the inclination of the streamer belt and HCS decreased as Ulysses traveled to lower latitudes so that the spacecraft remained at about the maximum latitudinal extent of the HCS. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

ICMEs in the Outer Heliosphere and at High Latitudes: An Introduction

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are observed at all latitudes and distances from which data are available. We discuss the radial evolution of ICMEs out to large distances and ICME properties at high latitudes. The internal pressure of ICMEs initially exceeds the ambient solar wind pressure and causes the ICMEs to expand in radial width to about 15~AU. Large ICMEs and series of ICMEs compress the leading plasma and form merged interaction regions (MIRs) which dominate the structure of the outer heliosphere at solar maximum. The distribution of high-latitude ICMEs is solar cycle dependent. A few overexpanding ICMEs are observed at high-latitude near solar minimum. Near solar maximum ICMEs are observed at all latitudes, but those above 40° do not have high charge states.     

Microphysics of Quasi-parallel Shocks in Collisionless Plasmas

Shocks in collisionless plasmas require dissipation mechanisms which couple fields and particles at scales much less than the conventional collisional mean free path. For quasi-parallel geometries, where the upstream magnetic field makes a small angle to the shock normal direction, wave-particle coupling produces a broad transition zone with large amplitude, nonlinear magnetic pulsations playing an important role. At high Mach numbers, ion reflection and acceleration are dominant processes which control the structure and dissipation at the shock. Accelerated particles produce a precursor, or foreshock, characterized by low frequency magnetic waves which are convected by the plasma flow into the shock transition zone. The interplay between energetic particles, waves, ion reflection and acceleration leads to a complicated interdependent system. This review discusses the spacecraft observations which have motivated the current view of the high Mach number quasi-parallel shock, and the theories and simulation studies which have led to a better understanding of the microphysics on which the quasi-parallel shock depends.     

Electric fields and currents in the ionosphere

In this paper some theories and experimental data on the electric fields and currents in the ionosphere are reviewed. Electric fields originating in the polarization of the ionosphere as well as in local irregularities are considered. Special attention is paid to field-aligned currents as a regulator of the intensity and configuration of the ionospheric polarization field, the anomalous resistivity being one of the most important characteristics of the magnetospheric plasma. Present-day models of the magnetosphere and corresponding electric field generation mechanisms are discussed. Various models of the DP1 current system are considered and the main characteristics that allow us to distinguish between them are listed. Experimental data on the ionospheric electric field are considered; a modified model of Silsbee and Vestine is shown to fit these data reasonably well.     

Implications of a weak termination shock

Recent observations from the Voyager spacecraft have suggested that the spectrum of the anomalous cosmic ray component is relatively steep at the termination shock, which is believed to be responsible for accelerating these particles. This conclusion argues that the termination shock must be weak, which in turn requires that the upstream Mach number in the solar wind must be quite low, 2.4. It is pointed out that such conditions are unlikely to prevail at all locations along the shock front. However, it is possible for such conditions to exist at the interface between high speed streams at high heliographic latitudes and the region at low latitudes where high and low speed streams have interacted and come into equilibrium. This discussion suggests a preferred location for the injection of the anomalous component into the shock acceleration process.     

The longitudinal morphology of equatorial F-layer irregularities relevant to their occurrence

Determining the morphology of F-layer irregularities as a function of longitude in the equatorial region is vital for understanding the physics of the development of these irregularities. We aim to lay the observational basis which then can be used to test theoretical models. Theoretical models have been developed, notably in the papers by Tsunoda (1985) and by T. Maruyama and N. Matuura (1984). The question is whether the models are consistent with the morphology as we see it.According to our criteria, the data used should be confined to observations taken near the magnetic equator during quiet magnetic periods and at times within a few hours after sunset. Anomaly region scintillation data have to be used in a limited manner for studying the generation mechanism.The questions to be answered by proposed mechanisms are (1) why do the equinox months have high levels of occurrence over all longitudes and (2) why are there relatively high levels of occurrence in the Central Pacific Sector in the July–August period and in the 0–75° West Sector in the November-December period and (3) why are there very low levels of occurrence in November and December in the Central Pacific Sector and in July and August in the 0–75° West Sector.In the paper by Maruyama and Matuura, the authors have taken observations of topside soundings of spread-F. With this data set in hand, they conclude: During the northern winter periods, there is maximum enhancement at the Atlantic longitudes of large westward geomagnetic declination and during the northern summer at the Pacific longitude of large eastward declination.Tsunoda's conclusions from his use of scintillation data is that scintillation activity appears to maximize at times of the year when the suset nodes occur. The emphasis of one paper is on the maximum enhancement during the solstices and in the other paper on variations from the equinox as determined by latitude and declination. Each stresses certain characteristics of the morphology. While the two papers explain relatively different morphologies, each makes contributions. However there remain problems to be resolved before certifying a solution as to the physics explaining the longitudinal pattern of F-region irregularities.Satellitein-situ data, scintillation and spread-F observations will be reviewed. The limitation of each data set will be outlined particularly as relevant to the bias produced by the existence of thin versus extended layers of irregularities. A cartoon as to the occurrence pattern, as we see it, as a function of longitude will be shown.     

Spectroscopy of Icy Moon Surface Materials

Remote sensing of icy objects in the outer solar system relies upon availability of appropriate laboratory measurements. Surface deposits of specific substances often provide our most direct route to understanding interior composition, thereby informing theories of endogenic surface modification, exogenic surface processing and processes involving exchange of material with the interiors. Visible to near-infrared reflectance spectra of properly prepared compounds are required to enable retrieval of surface abundances through linear and nonlinear mixture analysis applied to spacecraft observations of icy bodies. This chapter describes the techniques, conditions and approaches necessary to provide reference spectra of use to theoretical models of icy satellite surface compositions, and summarizes the current state of knowledge represented in the published literature.     

Transforming Dust to Planets

We review recent progress in understanding how nebular dust and gas are converted into the planets of the present-day solar system, focusing particularly on the “Grand Tack” and pebble accretion scenarios. The Grand Tack can explain the observed division of the solar system into two different isotopic “flavours”, which are found in both differentiated and undifferentiated meteorites. The isotopic chronology inferred for the development of these two “flavours” is consistent with expectations of gas-giant growth and nebular gas loss timescales. The Grand Tack naturally makes a small Mars and a depleted, dynamically-excited and compositionally mixed asteroid belt (as observed); it builds both Mars and the Earth rapidly, which is consistent with the isotopically-inferred growth timescale of the former, but not the latter. Pebble accretion can explain the rapid required growth of Jupiter and Saturn, and the number of Kuiper Belt binaries, but requires specific assumptions to explain the relatively protracted growth timescale of Earth. Pure pebble accretion cannot explain the mixing observed in the asteroid belt, the fast proto-Earth spin rate, or the tilt of Uranus. No current observation requires pebble accretion to have operated in the inner solar system, but the thermal and compositional consequences of pebble accretion have yet to be explored in detail.     

Kinetic Characterization of Plasma Sheet Dynamics

The Wind spacecraft made 26 perigee passes through the near-earth plasma sheet region during 1994 to 1997. Nearly all of these passes obtained plasma data from substorms and bursty bulk flow (BBF) events. New features of ion distributions have been observed in both the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) and the central plasma sheet (CPS) in the vicinity of the current sheet that are relevant for understanding the structure of the PSBL and the mechanisms of particle acceleration to MeV energies associated with the BBF events. Kinetic processes are key to understanding these new observations that are not adequately explained by existing magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models and theories. This article will feature the phase space distribution functions as the primary data product. The main purpose of this article is to establish an observational framework for new improved models and theories. The new observations should challenge modelers and theorists.     

High-latitude Sporadic-E and other Thin Layers – the Role of Magnetospheric Electric Fields

Observations of high-latitude sporadic-E (Es) layers and theories of their formation are reviewed. The layers are found to be composed of metallic ions, they are at times formed by tidal wind shear, and they are more common in summer than in winter. All of these properties are common to Es layers at mid-latitudes. However, the high-latitude layers are rather often formed, modified or transported by the action of magnetospheric electric fields. Taking into account the action of both tides and electric fields leads to an understanding of the daily variation of Es occurrence, the daily variation of Es heights and the occasional appearance of upward migrating Es layers. Correlations between Es and neutral metallic layers at low altitudes can be explained by neutralisation of the metallic ions in the Es layers, but joint Es and neutral layers at higher altitudes are still unexplained. The action of electric fields and the interaction with neutral layers can explain the formation of multiple Es layers and may provide an explanation for the seasonal variation of Es occurrence. Uncertainties remain as to whether the narrowness of Es layers is fully compatible with formation by electric fields, to whether neutralisation at low altitudes can provide a sufficient explanation of the seasonal variation, and to whether the quasi-periodic fine structure observed in mid-latitude Es also appears at high latitudes. The understanding of ion transport by electric fields which results from the study of Es layers leads to new insights and new questions related to other plasma layers (polar mesosphere summer echoes and winter ion layers) which appear in the high-latitude winter ionosphere.     

Motion of the heliospheric termination shock at high heliographic latitude

We expect the mean distance of the heliospheric termination shock to be greater (smaller) at polar latitudes than at equatorial latitudes, depending on whether the mean dynamic pressure of the solar wind is greater or smaller at high latitudes. The heliospheric termination shock is expected to move in response to variation in upstream solar wind conditions, so that at any particular instant the termination shock will resemble a distorted asymmetric balloon with some parts moving inward and others moving outward. If the shock is a gasdynamic or magnetohydrodynamic shock the results of the analysis depend only very weakly on the nature of the upstream disturbance; typical speeds of the disturbed shock are 100 to 200 km/s. In the absence of a significant latitude gradient of the typical magnitude of solar wind disturbances typical motions of the disturbed shock at polar latitudes would be about twice as fast, due to the higher speed of the high-latitude wind. If the dynamics of the termination shock are dominated by acceleration of the aromalous component of the cosmic rays, the motion of the shock in response to a given disturbance is substantially slower than in the gasdynamic case. Conceivably, particle acceleration might be a less important effect at higher latitudes, and we envision the possibility of a termination shock that is dominated by particle acceleration at lower latitudes and is an MHD shock at high latitudes. In this event high latitude solar wind disturbances would produce substantially larger inward and outward motions of the shock in the polar regions.     

The Acceleration Mechanism of Anomalous Cosmic Rays

This paper reviews our current understanding of the acceleration mechanism of anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs). ACRs were first discovered in the early 1970s and soon afterwards it was recognized that they were accelerated interstellar pickup ions that obtained most of their energization in the outer heliosphere. Their observed composition and charge state suggest they are accelerated to over 200 MeV total energy in about a year. Diffusive shock acceleration at the solar-wind termination shock, which provided a natural explanation for spacecraft observations prior to the Voyager crossings of the termination shock in 2004 and 2007, was the long-held paradigm for the acceleration mechanism. But when both Voyagers crossed the shock, the ACR energy spectrum remained modulated, suggesting a source more distant than the shock. While shock acceleration remains a popular mechanism, other ideas have emerged recently to explain the observations. This review focuses on three main acceleration mechanisms that have been proposed: (a) acceleration at the termination shock including new effects such as the global blunt-shape of the shock and large-scale turbulence, (b) acceleration by magnetic reconnection in the heliosheath, and (c) acceleration by diffusive compression acceleration in the heliosheath.