Multispacecraft observations of interplanetary shock shapes on the scales of the Earth's magnetosphere

Abstract

We are presenting a study of interplanetary shock shapes as observed by multiple spacecraft in the solar wind. The analysis of the 1 May 1998 shock observed by six spacecraft is presented in detail as an example to demonstrate possible complex shock shapes with small‐ and large‐scale curvatures of the shock surface. To systematically estimate the shock front deviation from planarity on different scales, we are presenting an analysis of 62 shocks observed by Wind and at least one other spacecraft. Our results show the presence of local (on scales up to ∼30 RE) shock curvatures with radii of less than ∼50 to ∼200 RE for the majority of analyzed shocks. On larger scales, the shock curvature decreases and reaches the limit of the strongest possible curvature with radius of ∼400 RE on scales greater than ∼100 RE for all analyzed shocks.