ELECTRIC-FIELD OF A SHOCK-WAVE PROPAGATING ACROSS A MAGNETIC-FIELD

The problem of the electrostatic field of a shock wave propagating acr oss the magnetic field in an ionized gas is solved analytically. Both transverse and longitudinal (with respect to the magnetic field) compo nents of the electric field are taken into account. The boundary condi tions are such that the closure of the Hall currents that ate cut off at a discontinuity is provided by the longitudinal currents. Tile solu tion is constructed using the method of eigenfunctions and has (approx imately) the form of a potential barrier or a potential well. The solu tion obtained agrees qualitatively with experimental data. Quantitativ e agreement with experiment is achieved owing to the possibility of su bstantially reducing the plasma conductivity when the current carriers are trapped by the electric field. A hypothesis is proposed that can provide insight into Why no anomalous ionization was observed in space experiments. The dissipative nature of energy conversion and the poss ibility for accelerating charged particles in an electric field are di scussed.