On the structure of the turbulent bow shock

A few short bow shock crossings have been studied (Days 44, 53, 255, and 48, 1969). The first three events are shown to be incomplete shock crossings; i.e., the satellite spent a few minutes each time within the shock layer. Large-amplitude waves are observed in |B| with frequency close to Ωi. Proton velocity distribution shows a second peak corresponding to an energy 2–4 times the upstream proton energy. This second peak is observed both with cold solar wind (first part of the shock layer) and with heated solar wind (second part of the shock layer). The possibility of a substructure is discussed. The acceleration of the bow shock is estimated to be ≈5 km/sec².