Analysis of shock propagation in the magnetosheath
Name
1028737758-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
1.92 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
00a75c7c6170fe97461d8040dcf94234
Author(s)
Wallace, Aletta M. J. (Aletta Margaret Jensen)
Advisor(s)
Alan J. Lazarus.
Date Issued
2003
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Four interplanetary shock waves and disturbances are analyzed. Data recorded by multiple spacecraft are compared in order to determine how the speed of these events is modified when they cross Earth's bow shock into the magnetosheath. To accomplish this, it was necessary to find shocks that were seen by spacecraft both in the solar wind and inside the magnetosheath. Using a velocity coplanarity and a Rankine-Hugoniot methods of shock normal analysis, the speeds of these events in the solar wind were calculated. The time of their arrival at a spacecraft in the magnetosheath was determined. The predicted arrival time, assuming a constant shock speed from the spacecraft in the solar wind to the spacecraft in the magnetosheath is then compared to the actual arrival time. The resulting data support the conclusion that there is no change in the speed of the shock as it propagates through the magnetosheath.
Description
Thesis: S.B. in Planetary Science and Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2003.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 25-26).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
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