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The typical subsolar stand‐off distance of Mars' bow shock is of the order of a solar wind ion convective gyroradius, making it highly non‐planar to incident ions. Using spacecraft observations and a test particle model, we illustrate the impact of the bow shock curvature on transient structures which form near the upstream edge of moving foreshocks caused by slow rotations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The structures exhibit noticeable decrease in the solar wind plasma density and the IMF strength within their core, are accompanied by a compressional shock layer, and are consistent with foreshock bubbles (FBs). Ion populations responsible for these structures include backstreaming ions that only appear within the moving foreshock and reflected ions with hybrid trajectories that straddle between the quasi‐perpendicular and quasi‐parallel bow shocks during slow IMF rotations. Both ion populations accumulate near the upstream edge of the moving foreshock which facilitates FB formation. Plain Language Summary: Planets in the solar system are continuously impacted by the solar wind, a plasma flow originating at the Sun and propagating through the interplanetary medium at high speeds. The solar wind also carries a magnetic field which at times contains twists or discontinuities. The discontinuities are associated with large scale electric currents that can have planar shapes. A planetary obstacle significantly modulate the solar wind plasma and the interaction of solar wind discontinuities with the modulated plasma upstream of the planet leads to formation of transient structures. Due to their relatively large size, these structures can significantly impact and destabilize plasma boundaries at lower altitudes closer to the surface. The results of this paper improve our understanding of solar wind interactions and formation of transient structures upstream of Mars. Key Points: Foreshock bubbles can form upstream of MarsSlow field rotations can cause foreshock bubbles while reflected ions from the quasi‐perpendicular bow shock contribute to their formationUnique ion kinetic scale processes exist around foreshock structures at Mars due to the different interaction size scale [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrestrial bow shock is the boundary that slows and diverts the supermagnetosonic solar wind around the terrestrial magnetosphere by converting the kinetic energy of the solar wind into thermal and magnetic energy. Shock fronts are an important acceleration site for ions and electrons in collisionless plasmas, and are responsible for much of the particle acceleration in solar, planetary, and astrophysical regions. One of the fundamental outstanding questions of ion acceleration at shocks for which the upstream magnetic field is nearly aligned with the shock normal (i.e., quasi‐parallel shocks) is which portion of the incoming solar wind ion distribution ultimately becomes the seed population that is subsequently accelerated to high energies. This study discusses distribution functions of protons and alpha particles observed by the HPCA and FPI instruments onboard the MMS satellites during a crossing of the quasi‐parallel bow shock. The bow shock transition from the downstream region into the upstream solar wind shows the occasional presence of reflected ions and a population of 90° pitch angle ions in the shock ramp consistent with shock drift accelerated ions. Both populations contribute to the seed population of the shock accelerated ions known as the diffuse ion population. Key Points: Two ion sources for the bow shock accelerated diffuse ion population are identified: Shock drift accelerated and specularly reflected ionsShock drift accelerated ions are directly accelerated out of the solar wind without an intermediate step to a suprathermal distributionThe bow shock magnetic field steepens enough to cause reflected solar wind ions that contribute to the source distribution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar wind interaction with Mars controls the transfer of energy and momentum from the solar wind into the magnetosphere, ionosphere and atmosphere, driving structure, and dynamics within each. This interaction is highly dependent on the upstream Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) orientation. We use in‐situ plasma measurements made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to identify several prominent features that arise when the IMF is aligned approximately parallel or antiparallel to solar wind flow (conditions known as "radial IMF"). In particular, solar wind protons and alphas are observed to directly penetrate down to periapsis altitudes, while the magnetic barrier forms deep within the dayside ionosphere. The MAVEN observations are consistent with either an ionopause‐like boundary or diamagnetic cavity forming beneath the barrier, as a consequence of the dense cold ionosphere and the absence of significant crustal magnetic fields at this periapsis location. The planetary ions above the magnetic barrier are exposed to solar wind flow and subsequent mass‐loading. The V⃗×B⃗ $\vec{V}\times \vec{B}$ (convective electric field or "ion pickup") force is weak and highly variable during radial IMF. While wave particle interactions and subsequent wave heating contribute to incorporating the heavy planetary ions into the solar wind flow, the solar wind momentum is not fully deflected around the obstacle and is delivered into the collisional atmosphere. Significant ion heating is observed deep within the dayside ionosphere, and observed ionospheric density and temperature profiles demonstrate that these ion energization mechanisms drive significant erosion and likely escape to space. Plain Language Summary: The planets and comets in our solar system are exposed to a barrage of energetic particles emitted by our Sun, known as the solar wind. These particles carry with them a magnetic field, and this magnetic field plays an important role in determining how the solar wind is deflected around these planetary and cometary bodies. We use observations made by a spacecraft orbiting Mars to investigate this interaction when the solar wind magnetic field is oriented in a somewhat unique fashion, aligned in the same direction as the solar wind flow (in contrast to more typical conditions when the solar wind magnetic field is oriented at an angle to the flow direction). In this unique orientation, we find that solar wind particles crash into the dayside atmosphere of Mars, instead of being deflected around the planet. In addition, this magnetic field orientation allows significant solar wind energy to be deposited into the dayside atmosphere via the interaction of generated electric and magnetic fields, with charged particles in the atmosphere. The resulting near space environment at Mars is highly dynamic and disturbed compared to more typical conditions. Key Points: During radial interplanetary magnetic field conditions at Mars, the magnetic barrier forms deep within the dayside ionospherePlanetary ions above the magnetic barrier are exposed to solar wind flow and coupled via weak V⃗×B⃗ $\vec{V}\times \vec{B}$ and strong wave particle interactionsPlasma temperatures are enhanced by factors of 2–10 within the ionosphere; concurrently the dayside ionosphere is significantly eroded [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamics of Earth's quasi-parallel terrestrial bow shock based on measurements from the Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) spacecraft constellation during a period of near-radial interplanetary magnetic conditions, when the interplanetary magnetic field and the solar wind (SW) velocity are nearly anti-parallel. High-speed earthward ion flows with properties that are similar to those of the pristine SW are observed to be embedded within the magnetosheath-like plasma. These flows are accompanied by Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) intensity of less than about 10 nT, compared to nearby magnetosheath intensities of generally greater than 10 nT. The high-speed flow intervals are bounded at their leading and trailing edges by intense fluxes of more energetic ions and large amplitude quasi-sinusoidal magnetic oscillations, similar to ultra-low frequency waves known to steepen and pileup on approach toward Earth to form the quasi-parallel bow shock. The MMS string-of-pearls configuration is aligned with the outbound trajectory and provides inter-spacecraft separations of several hundred km along its near 103 length, allowing sequential observation of the plasma and magnetic field signatures during the event by the four spacecraft. The SW-like interval is most distinct at the outer-most MMS-2 and sequentially less distinct at each of the trailing MMS spacecraft. We discuss the interpretation of this event alternatively as MMS having observed a quasi-rigid bow shock contraction/expansion cycle, ripples or undulations propagating on the bow shock surface, or a more spatially local evolution in the context of either a deeply deformed shock surface or a porous shock surface, as in the three-dimensional patchwork concept of the quasi-parallel bow shock, under the extant near-radial IMF condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actively reconnecting, thin current sheets have been observed both within the transition region of Earth's bow shock and far downstream into the magnetosheath. Irrespective of whether these structures arise due to shock processes or turbulent dissipation, they are expected to contribute to particle heating and acceleration within their respective regions. In order to assess the prevalence of thin current sheets in the magnetosheath, we examine shock crossings and extended magnetosheath intervals recorded by the magnetospheric multiscale mission (MMS). For each magnetosheath interval, we quantify the prevalence of current sheets in that region of space using: a one-dimensional measure of structures per unit length of observed plasma, a packing factor corresponding to the fraction of time the spacecraft are within current structures, and a three-dimensional measure requiring an estimate of the number of current sheets within an associated volume. We estimate that volume by considering the three-dimensional cone over which Alfvén and magnetoacoustic waves can propagate during each interval. Using 25 extended magnetosheath intervals observed by MMS, we perform our analysis for different locations in the magnetosheath and for different solar wind conditions. We find that the number density of current sheets is higher toward the magnetosheath flanks, that it reduces as a power law with distance from the bow shock, and that it is not strongly influenced by the properties of the upstream bow shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collisionless shocks are some of the most efficient particle accelerators in heliospheric and astrophysical plasmas. Here we study and quantify ion acceleration at Earth's bow shock with observations from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites and in a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation. From the MMS observations, we find that quasiparallel shocks are more efficient at accelerating ions. There, up to 15% of the available energy goes into accelerating ions above 10 times their initial energy. Above a shock-normal angle of ∼50°, essentially no energetic ions are observed downstream of the shock. We find that ion acceleration efficiency is significantly lower when the shock has a low Mach number (MA < 6) while there is little Mach number dependence for higher values. We also find that ion acceleration is lower on the flanks of the bow shock than at the subsolar point regardless of the Mach number. The observations show that a higher connection time of an upstream field line leads to somewhat higher acceleration efficiency. To complement the observations, we perform a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation with realistic solar-wind parameters with the shape and size of the bow shock. We find that the ion acceleration efficiency in the simulation shows good quantitative agreement with the MMS observations. With the combined approach of direct spacecraft observations, we quantify ion acceleration in a wide range of shock angles and Mach numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kelvin‐Helmholtz Instability (KHI) is thought to be an important driver of mass and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the Earth's magnetosphere. We present observations from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission of ion acoustic‐like waves associated with turbulence during the KHI interval on 8 September 2015. These parallel electrostatic waves are nonlinear, can have amplitudes in excess of 100 mV/m, and may be associated with a field‐aligned potential drop. We perform a survey of all vortices in the 8 September 2015 event, investigating the occurrence of electrostatic waves below the ion plasma frequency. We find that they tend to occur in the turbulent region in the middle of the KHI vortices, independent of the presence of compressed or intermittent currents. This suggests that the waves occur in the presence of plasma mixing in the vortex region and that they may play a part in the overall turbulent dissipation process. Key Points: Ion‐acoustic‐like waves occur within the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability at Earth's magnetosphereThese waves appear in the vortex regions of the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability and are not related to electric currentsThese waves are potentially due to mixing of plasma populations and may impact the turbulent dissipation process [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron velocity distributions in Mars's magnetosheath show a systematic erosion of the energy spectrum with distance downstream from the bow shock. Previous attempts to model this erosion invoked assumptions to promote electron ionization impact collisions with Mars's neutral hydrogen exosphere. We show that the near collision‐free magnetosheath requires a kinetic description; the population of electrons at any location is a convolution of electrons arriving from more distant regions that ultimately map directly to the solar wind. We construct a simple model that captures all the essential physics. The model demonstrates how the erosion of the electron distributions is the result of the trapping, escape, and replacement of electrons that traverse the global bow shock; some are temporarily confined to the expanding cavity formed by the cross‐shock electrostatic potential. The model also has implications for the ability of solar wind electrons to reach altitudes below the pileup boundary. Plain Language Summary: All the planets are embedded in a supersonic flow of ionized gas originating from the Sun's hot atmosphere. Thus, upstream of a planet we see shock waves that slow, heat, and divert the flow around the planet. At planets such as Mars, which lack an internal magnetic field, that shock and the sheath of diverted flow are quite close to the top of the atmosphere. Thus, it has been tempting to attribute the evolution of the gas within the sheath by invoking collisions between, for example, the shocked solar wind electrons and neutral constituents from the planet. However, such collisions are actually quite infrequent. We have developed a simple collision‐free model that shows how the apparent reduction in energy of the shocked solar wind electrons is the result of electron escape back into the exterior flow and their effective replacement by less energized electrons. This approach also highlights the ability of exterior electrons to penetrate more deeply into the atmosphere. Key Points: This study develops an idealized collisionless model for electrons in Mars's magnetosheathThe model reproduces the erosion of higher energy electron phase space within the magnetosheath [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 05 December 2015 the Magnetospheric MultiScale constellation observed interstellar pickup ion distributions during an inbound crossing of Earth's perpendicular bow shock near the subsolar point, which provides new insights into shock acceleration of pickup ions throughout the heliosphere. In this study we analyze the upstream and downstream velocity distributions of H+ and He+ using data from the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer on Magnetospheric MultiScale. We derive average two‐dimensional pitch angle distributions in the upstream and downstream field‐aligned bulk plasma frame, as well as integrated one‐dimensional velocity distributions. By comparing the upstream and downstream distributions, we find evidence of accelerated H+ and He+ downstream of the shock. By comparing measured and theoretical reflection ratios for He+, we attribute a significant part of this acceleration to a single reflection at the shock. Plain Language Summary: By studying distributions of ions before and after a shock in space, we gain valuable insights into shock acceleration mechanisms that produce high‐energy ion populations, observed throughout the heliosphere. On 05 December 2015 the Magnetospheric MultiScale constellation crossed Earth's perpendicular bow shock and measured velocity distributions of He+ ions before and after the shock. This study analyzes these distributions in search for signs of accelerated He+. We find that He+ is accelerated mainly perpendicular to the local magnetic field, and that a significant fraction of the accelerated He+ is consistent with the theory of shock reflection at the bow shock, in which an ion is reflected at the shock and then energized by the solar wind electric field (pointing parallel to the shock surface) as the ion gyrates back to the shock. Key Points: MMS observed interstellar pickup He+ upstream and downstream of the Earth's perpendicular bow shockComparison of upstream and downstream velocity distributions revealed accelerated pickup He+The observations are consistent with single reflection shock acceleration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neutral exosphere of Mars extends far upstream beyond the bow shock, and as a result, solar wind protons can charge exchange with this neutral exosphere to produce energetic neutral atoms. Energetic neutral atoms produced directly upstream of Mars will precipitate into the Martian dayside atmosphere, where some fraction can undergo a charge stripping reaction and can be observed as "penetrating protons." Clear, quasiperiodic modulations in penetrating proton densities are observed during certain Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) periapsis passes, and we show that these modulations occur during radial interplanetary magnetic field conditions. During such times, the region sunward of Mars is defined by quasi‐parallel shock conditions, generating foreshock structures characterized by enhancements in magnetic field strength, enhancements in proton density, and deceleration and deflection of the solar wind flow. These structures are observed at time cadences equal to the modulation of penetrating proton densities at periapsis. Particle tracing simulations show that the convection of these structures with the solar wind leads to localized enhancements in the rate of charge exchange upstream of the shock, producing the observed temporal variations in penetrating proton densities at periapsis. The observation of modulated penetrating proton densities at periapsis can thus be used to infer the existence of radial interplanetary magnetic field conditions upstream of the bow shock at Mars at times when MAVEN does not sample the upstream solar wind. Key Points: The modulation of hydrogen deposition at periapsis is due to enhancements in the rate of charge exchange upstream of the Martian bow shockConvecting foreshock structures observed during radial IMF conditions drives the modulation of hydrogen deposition in the atmosphereThe modulation of deposited solar wind hydrogen densities at periapsis can be used to infer the presence of radial IMF conditions at Mars [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrons can be accelerated to ultrarelativistic energies at strong (high Mach number) collisionless shock waves that form when stellar debris rapidly expands after a supernova. Collisionless shock waves also form in the flow of particles from the Sun (the solar wind), and extensive spacecraft observations have established that electron acceleration at these shocks is effectively absent whenever the upstream magnetic field is roughly parallel to the shock-surface normal (quasi-parallel conditions). However, it is unclear whether this magnetic dependence of electron acceleration also applies to the far stronger shocks around young supernova remnants, where local magnetic conditions are poorly understood. Here we present Cassini spacecraft observations of an unusually strong solar system shock wave (Saturn's bow shock) where significant local electron acceleration has been confirmed under quasi-parallel magnetic conditions for the first time, contradicting the established magnetic dependence of electron acceleration at solar system shocks. Furthermore, the acceleration led to electrons at relativistic energies (about megaelectronvolt), comparable to the highest energies ever attributed to shock acceleration in the solar wind. These observations suggest that at high Mach numbers, such as those of young supernova remnant shocks, quasi-parallel shocks become considerably more effective electron accelerators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the formation of terrestrial bow shock in the solar wind when the supersonic plasma emitted from the Sun encounters the Earth's magnetic field. Separation of magnetic field from the solar wind; Role of shocks in flow dynamics and heating under a wide variety of circumstances; Provision of prime acceleration environments for cosmic rays.