Structure of a quasi-parallel, quasi-laminar bow shock

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

A thick, quasi-parallel bow shock structure was observed with field and particle detectors of both HEOS 1 and OGO 5. The typical magnetic pulsation structure was at least 1 to 2 earth radii thick radially and was accompanied by irregular but distinct plasma distributions characteristic of neither the solar wind nor the magnetosheath. Waves constituting the large pulsations were polarized principally in the plane of the nominal shock, therefore also in the plane perpendicular to the average interplanetary field. A separate interpulsation regime detected between bursts of large amplitude oscillations was similar to the upstream wave region magnetically, but was characterized by disturbed plasma flux and enhanced noise around the ion plasma frequency. The shock structure appeared to be largely of an oblique, whistler type, probably complicated by counterstreaming high energy protons. Evidence for firehose instability-based structure was weak at best and probably negative.