Numerical studies of electron dynamics in oblique quasi‐perpendicular collisionless shock waves

Abstract

Linear and nonlinear electron damping of the whistler precursor wave train to low Mach number quasi‐perpendicular oblique shocks is studied using a one‐dimensional electromagnetic plasma simulation code with particle electrons and ions. In some parameter regimes, electrons are observed to trap along the magnetic field lines in the potential of the whistler precursor wave train. This trapping can lead to significant electron heating in front of the shock for low βe (∼10% or less). Use of the 64‐processor Caltech/JPL Mark IIIfp hypercube concurrent computer has enabled us to make long runs using realistic mass ratios (mi/me = 1600) in the full particle in‐cell code and thus simulate shock parameter regimes and phenomena not previously studied numerically.