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K. E. Korreck (University of Michigan), J. C. Raymond (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), T. Zurbuchen (University of Michigan)
The thermal equilibration of species after a collisionless shock passes through an astrophysical plasma is not well understood. The degree of thermal equilibration after the shock is important for the cosmic ray acceleration injection problem and the relative abundances of cosmic ray particles. We have measured the kinetic temperature of oxygen and protons in the collisionless shock of SN1006 and in shocks driven by coronal mass ejections(CMEs).
Using O VI observations of SN1006 made by the FUSE satellite, we have obtained a kinetic temperature for oxygen in the post shock region. A proton temperature from optical observations has been obtained using work by Ghavamian et. al. 2002. CME shocks were examined using data from the ACE satellite. Solar wind shocks, were found to have greater than mass proportional heating of oxygen, Berdichevsky et. al. (1997). We have found a similar result for the shocks of the CMEs. The heliospheric observations are contrary to early shock theory that would have all species sharing heating equally or mass proportionately. The supernova data shows evidence of this preferential heating.
This work is supported by NASA grant NEG5-10352 to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Ms. Korreck is supported by the U of Michigan Rackham-NSF Engineering Award.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.