Energetic Particles and Upstream Waves at Co-rotating Shocks

Abstract

We report a study of energetic ion acceleration at shocks bounding co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs). Archived data obtained by Ulysses magnetic field, solar wind and energetic particle investigations at low latitude CIRs have been assembled and analyzed. The statistical relations between various properties of 22 Forward shocks, energetic particles and upstream heliospheric magnetic field fluctuations are presented. No statistically significant correlations are found between the shock compression ratio, r, or the particle intensity, jp, or the energetic particle spectral index, s, and the shock normal-upstream field angle, θBn. Furthermore, a theoretical relation between the particle spectral index and shock compression is not consistent with the observed values of s and r. The particle intensities are poorly correlated with the power in upstream heliospheric magnetic field fluctuations contrary to our preliminary study of fewer shocks. We conclude that many of the expectations of Diffusive Shock Theory are not supported by this data set but it is too early to decide whether some key measurement is missing or the theory needs reconsideration.