Critical Mach Numbers for Magnetohydrodynamic Shocks with Accelerated Particles and Waves

Abstract

The first critical fast Mach number is defined for a magnetohydrodynamic shock as the Mach number where the shock transitions from subcritical, laminar behavior to supercritical behavior, characterized by incident ion reflection from the shock front. The ensuing upstream waves and turbulence are convected downstream, leading to a turbulent shock structure. Formally, this is the Mach number where plasma resistivity can no longer provide sufficient dissipation to establish a stable shock, and is characterized by the downstream flow speed becoming subsonic. We revisit these calculations, including in the MHD jump conditions terms modeling the plasma energy loss to accelerated particles and the presence of waves associated with these particles. The accelerated particle contributions make an insignificant change, but the associated waves have a more important effect. Upstream waves can be strongly amplified in intensity on passing through the shock, and they represent another means of shock dissipation. The presence of such waves therefore increases the first critical fast Mach number, especially at quasi-parallel shock where wave excitation is strongest. These effects may have significance for the solar regions where shock waves accelerate particles and cause Type II and Type III radio bursts, and they could also contribute to the event-to-event variability of SEP acceleration.