HR: 1330h
AN: SM52B-0573    [PDF]
TI: A Comparison of Shock Normals
AU: Kravaritis, G
EM: cop02gk@sheffield.ac.uk
AF: University of Sheffield, Automatic Control and Systems Engineering Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD United Kingdom
AU: * Balikhin, M A
EM: m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk
AF: University of Sheffield, Automatic Control and Systems Engineering Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD United Kingdom
AU: Alleyne, H S
EM: h.alleyne@sheffield.ac.uk
AF: University of Sheffield, Automatic Control and Systems Engineering Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD United Kingdom
AU: Dunlop, M W
EM: m.dunlop@rl.ac.uk
AF: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Space Sciences Division SSTD, DIDCOT, OX11 0QX United Kingdom
AU: Andre, M
EM: mats.andre@irfu.se
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala Division Box 537, Uppsala, SE-75121 Sweden
AB: An accurate determination of the quasi-perpendicular bow shock orientation is crucial for the understanding of the physics that occurs within this boundary region. Using data collected by the Cluster spacecraft from a number of days during the first half year of operations this paper analyses the shock normal directions determined using three different methods. The first set of normals are derived using several shock models. The second set are computed using the coplanarity method based on FGM magnetic field data from the individual Cluster satellites. The final set are computed using multi-spacecraft timings of the shock crossing based on measurements of the EFW probe potentials. The normals for each shock are compared and the results are also analysed with respect to the upstream values of $\theta_{Bn}$ and the shock Mach number.
DE: 2154 Planetary bow shocks
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting