Bi‐directional streaming of solar wind electrons >80 eV: ISEE evidence for a closed‐field structure within the driver gas of an interplanetary shock

Authors:
  • SBS. J. Bame
    S. J. Bame
  • JAJ. R. Asbridge
    J. R. Asbridge
  • WFW. C. Feldman
    W. C. Feldman
  • JGJ. T. Gosling
    J. T. Gosling
  • RZR. D. Zwickl
    R. D. Zwickl
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Abstract
In near time coincidence with the arrival of helium enriched plasma driving the shock wave disturbance of November 12‐13, 1978, strong bi‐directional streaming of solar wind electrons >∼80 eV was observed with Los Alamos instrumentation on ISEE 3. The streaming persisted for many hours simultaneously parallel and anti‐parallel to the interplanetary magnetic field which was directed roughly perpendicular to the sun‐satellite line. This example of bi‐directional streaming clearly cannot be explained by field line connection to either the earth's bow shock or the outward propagating interplanetary shock which passed ISEE 3 ∼16 hours earlier. The event is best explained if the local interplanetary field was a part of either a magnetic bottle rooted at the sun or a disconnected loop propagating outward.

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