Ion Dynamics at Shocks: Ion Reflection and Beam Formation at Quasi-perpendicular Shocks

Abstract

The physics of collisionless shocks is controlled by the ion dynamics. The generation of gyrating ions by reflection as well as the formation of field‐aligned ion beams are essential parts of this dynamic. On the one hand reflection is most likely the first interaction of ions with the shock before they undergo the downstream thermalization process. On the other hand field‐aligned ion beams, predominately found at the quasi‐perpendicular bow shock, propagate into the distant foreshock region and may create wave activity. We revisit ion reflection, the source and basic production mechanism of field‐aligned ion beams, by using multi‐spacecraft measurements and contrast these observations with existing theories. Finally, we propose an alternative production mechanism.