Abstract
The interplanetary plasma flow measured by means of Explorer 10 is supersonic in the sense that the flow speed is greater than the Alfven speed. It is shown that this has some of the same implications as supersonic flow does in ordinary fluid flow theory, and possible consequences are discussed. The position of the shock that would develop if the interplanetary plasma were a perfect gas with a short mean free path is calculated and is shown to be well outside the orbit of Explorer 10, so that it would not have been seen. Speculations on the possible structure of the shock in collisionless plasma are given, and it is shown that this structure may account for the turbulent character of the distant magnetic field. (auth)
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