Pitch angle distributions of energetic protons near the Earth's bow shock

Measurements of energetic protons between ∼ 28 and ∼ 145 keV on ISEE‐1 upstream and downstream of the earth's bow shock during times of a radial interplanetary magnetic field are presented. The protons exhibited a slight anti‐sunward flow in the spacecraft system in front of the bow shock and a strong flow along the magnetic field in the spacecraft system in the magnetosheath. Compton‐Getting transformations of these anisotropies into the plasma frame of reference have been performed. It is argued that the observations can be explained best in terms of particle acceleration by multiple reflection between the bow shock and upstream scattering centers.