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Formation of Standing Whistler Wave in Earth's Magnetosheath

Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The dispersion of shock is universal in various media, and in plasmas, standing whistler waves represent the dispersion of collisionless shocks. These standing whistler waves are usually observed upstream of low Mach number planetary bow shocks and interplanetary shocks. However, our understanding of the plasma behavior and electric field properties within these waves remains limited. Using conjoint THEMIS and Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations, we report the first observation of standing whistler wave upstream of a fast shock in Earth's magnetosheath resulting from the interaction between a solar wind tangential discontinuity and the bow shock. High‐resolution MMS measurements provide unprecedented insights into these waves, characterizing their circular polarization, near‐parallel propagation to the shock normal, and fixed phase relative to the shock ramp. The observed field and particle characteristics are discussed in detail.
DOI: 10.1029/2024ja033358
Authors: Yang Wang, Jun Zhong, Lou‐Chuang Lee, Jiansen He, Hui Zhang, Zhaojin Rong, Yong Wei
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Peking University
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,880
Awards: G1097465859, G1643306018, G2079022619, G2649212103, G4815497161, G7294713407
OpenAlex ID: W4403784913
FWCI:
Cites: 26
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Related to: 10