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Relativistic electrons generated at Earth’s quasi-parallel bow shock

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Nonlinear structures can increase electron acceleration efficiency at quasi-parallel shocks by an order of magnitude. Plasma shocks are the primary means of accelerating electrons in planetary and astrophysical settings throughout… Click to show full abstract

Nonlinear structures can increase electron acceleration efficiency at quasi-parallel shocks by an order of magnitude. Plasma shocks are the primary means of accelerating electrons in planetary and astrophysical settings throughout the universe. Which category of shocks, quasi-perpendicular or quasi-parallel, accelerates electrons more efficiently is debated. Although quasi-perpendicular shocks are thought to be more efficient electron accelerators, relativistic electron energies recently observed at quasi-parallel shocks exceed theoretical expectations. Using in situ observations at Earth’s bow shock, we show that such relativistic electrons are generated by the interaction between the quasi-parallel shock and a related nonlinear structure, a foreshock transient, through two betatron accelerations. Our observations show that foreshock transients, overlooked previously, can increase electron acceleration efficiency at a quasi-parallel shock by an order of magnitude. Thus, quasi-parallel shocks could be more important in generating relativistic electrons, such as cosmic ray electrons, than previously thought.

Keywords: parallel; relativistic electrons; bow shock; quasi parallel

Journal Title: Science Advances
Year Published: 2019

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