CfA Interplanetary Shock Database

Description of Variables and Plots

This page defines all of the variables and plots used in the individual shock event pages. If you have arrived here by clicking the help link next to a data table or image, use the back button on your browser to return to the event.

General information

Year	Year of the event
Fractional day of year	Noon on January 1 = FDOY 1.5
Arrival time of shock [seconds of day]	Calculated assuming shock surface is a plane and shock speed is constant
Shock type	FF = Fast Forward, FR = Fast Reverse, SF = Slow Forward, SR = Slow Reverse
Electron data availability	If electron temperature measurements are available then they can be included in the extended versions of the Rankine-Hugoniot analysis that include pressure and energy terms. 0 = Electron data not available, 1 = Electron data were available
X GSE location of spacecraft [Re]	The is the x-coordinate location of the spacecraft at the moment of shock arrival in the Geocentric Solar Ecliptic (GSE) coordinate system. Units are Earth radii, where the radius of the Earth is 6378 km. The GSE system is centered at Earth, with the x-y plane aligned with the ecliptic plane of Earth's motion about the Sun. The x-axis points towards the Sun, the y-axis is opposite the orbital motion of Earth, and the z-axis points "north" out of the ecliptic plane.
Y GSE location of spacecraft [Re]	See above description of X GSE.
Z GSE location of spacecraft [Re]	See above description of X GSE.
Upstream plasma points selected for analysis	The number of solar wind ion measurements selected for analysis in the upstream interval before the shock passed the spacecraft.
Upstream field points selected for analysis	The number of high resolution magnetic field measurements selected for analysis in the upstream interval before the shock passed the spacecraft.
Downstream plasma points selected for analysis	The number of solar wind ion measurements selected for analysis in the downstream interval after the shock passed the spacecraft.
Downstream field points selected for analysis	The number of high resolution magnetic field measurements selected for analysis in the downstream interval after the shock passed the spacecraft.
Minimum chisq/dof for RH8,RH9,RH10	2.40, 3.86, 3.91
Event added to database	Mon Feb 14 11:05:49 2005
Event last processed	Fri Mar 20 14:11:29 2009
Method selected	RH08
Propagation delay to Earth [minutes]	57.042 ± 1.491

Asymptotic plasma parameters (About, Top)

Parameter	Upstream	Downstream
Vx GSE [km/s]	-306.4 ± 2.5	-369.2 ± 4.0
Vy GSE [km/s]	-2.7 ± 3.8	38.4 ± 16.9
Vz GSE [km/s]	10.1 ± 2.8	18.2 ± 7.4
Wi [km/s]	25.3 ± 2.0	48.4 ± 3.5
We [km/s]	799.8 ± 64.5	1531.1 ± 111.1
Ni [n/cc]	9.7 ± 0.4	27.2 ± 3.4
Bx GSE [nT]	-0.6 ± 0.7	0.5 ± 2.8
By GSE [nT]	-6.5 ± 0.2	-3.2 ± 8.7
Bz GSE [nT]	0.3 ± 1.0	-5.2 ± 2.0
Plasma Beta	0.301 ± 0.303	1.271 ± 1.123
Sound Speed [km/s]	32.65 ± 2.63	62.51 ± 4.54
Alfven Speed [km/s]	46.14 ± 0.79	45.22 ± 7.32

Best values of shock front normal for each method (About, Top)

Method	Nx	Ny	Nz	Theta [degrees]	Phi [degrees]
MC	-0.852 ± 0.516	0.433 ± 0.972	0.293 ± 0.284	17.03 ± 33.89	153.06 ± 65.12
VC	-0.841 ± 0.103	0.530 ± 0.163	0.108 ± 0.108	6.20 ± 6.14	147.80 ± 11.11
MX1	-0.953 ± 0.133	0.280 ± 0.451	0.114 ± 0.113	6.54 ± 7.74	163.63 ± 27.08
MX2	-0.928 ± 0.060	0.339 ± 0.148	0.155 ± 0.154	8.94 ± 10.57	159.93 ± 9.11
MX3	-0.921 ± 0.049	0.371 ± 0.113	0.115 ± 0.114	6.60 ± 10.18	158.07 ± 7.02
RH08	-0.971 ± 0.004	0.234 ± 0.017	0.039 ± 0.039	2.24 ± 0.76	166.46 ± 1.01
RH09	-0.996 ± 0.006	0.079 ± 0.068	0.039 ± 0.039	2.24 ± 4.06	175.49 ± 3.91
RH10	-0.996 ± 0.006	0.079 ± 0.068	0.039 ± 0.039	2.24 ± 4.06	175.49 ± 3.91
Average	-0.932	0.293	0.113	6.503	162.491
Median	-0.928	0.339	0.114	6.543	163.633
Deviation	0.060	0.160	0.085	4.946	9.898

Key shock parameters (About, Top)

Method	ThetaBn	Shock Speed	Compression
MC	70.6 ± 8.1	378.6 ± 11.1	2.83 ± 0.33
VC	64.2 ± 6.8	375.0 ± 12.9	2.83 ± 0.33
MX1	79.7 ± 6.8	405.6 ± 10.0	2.83 ± 0.33
MX2	76.3 ± 7.1	399.4 ± 10.3	2.83 ± 0.33
MX3	74.3 ± 6.8	397.4 ± 10.7	2.83 ± 0.33
RH08	82.3 ± 6.2	408.4 ± 10.0	2.83 ± 0.33
RH09	88.8 ± 6.2	407.1 ± 10.4	2.83 ± 0.33
RH10	88.8 ± 6.2	407.1 ± 10.4	2.83 ± 0.33
Average	78.1	397.3	2.83
Median	79.7	405.6	2.83
Deviation	8.6	13.3	0.00

Upstream wave speeds and mach numbers (About, Top)

Method	dV	Slow	Intermediate	Fast	Slow Mach	Fast Mach
MC	115.6 ± 3.3	9.0 ± 0.5	15.3 ± 0.3	55.8 ± 2.0	12.94 ± 0.57	2.07 ± 0.05
VC	117.6 ± 3.0	11.9 ± 0.7	20.1 ± 0.3	55.3 ± 1.9	9.94 ± 0.48	2.13 ± 0.06
MX1	113.1 ± 2.8	4.8 ± 0.3	8.2 ± 0.1	56.4 ± 2.0	23.79 ± 1.04	2.01 ± 0.05
MX2	114.5 ± 2.9	6.4 ± 0.4	11.0 ± 0.2	56.2 ± 2.0	18.05 ± 0.80	2.04 ± 0.05
MX3	114.9 ± 2.9	7.3 ± 0.4	12.5 ± 0.2	56.1 ± 2.0	15.82 ± 0.71	2.05 ± 0.05
RH8	111.0 ± 2.6	3.6 ± 0.2	6.2 ± 0.1	56.4 ± 2.0	31.01 ± 1.38	1.97 ± 0.05
RH9	101.7 ± 2.5	0.6 ± 0.0	1.0 ± 0.0	56.6 ± 2.0	184.34 ± 7.91	1.80 ± 0.04
RH10	101.7 ± 2.5	0.6 ± 0.0	1.0 ± 0.0	56.6 ± 2.0	184.34 ± 7.91	1.80 ± 0.04
Average	111.3	5.5	9.4	56.2	60.0	2.0
Median	114.5	6.4	11.0	56.4	23.8	2.0
Deviation	6.2	4.0	6.7	0.4	77.0	0.1

Downstream wave speeds and mach numbers (About, Top)

Method	dV	Slow	Intermediate	Fast	Slow Mach	Fast Mach
MC	41.9 ± 4.9	12.2 ± 1.2	15.0 ± 2.4	76.5 ± 3.7	3.47 ± 0.49	0.55 ± 0.06
VC	42.1 ± 6.8	16.1 ± 1.6	19.7 ± 3.2	75.8 ± 3.6	2.63 ± 0.45	0.55 ± 0.08
MX1	40.8 ± 3.0	6.5 ± 0.6	8.1 ± 1.3	77.2 ± 3.7	6.35 ± 0.71	0.53 ± 0.04
MX2	41.0 ± 3.6	8.6 ± 0.8	10.7 ± 1.7	77.0 ± 3.7	4.78 ± 0.58	0.53 ± 0.04
MX3	40.8 ± 4.2	9.9 ± 0.9	12.3 ± 2.0	76.9 ± 3.7	4.16 ± 0.53	0.53 ± 0.05
RH8	40.0 ± 2.9	4.9 ± 0.5	6.1 ± 1.0	77.3 ± 3.7	8.27 ± 0.93	0.52 ± 0.04
RH9	35.6 ± 3.1	0.8 ± 0.1	0.9 ± 0.2	77.5 ± 3.7	47.75 ± 6.17	0.46 ± 0.05
RH10	35.6 ± 3.1	0.8 ± 0.1	0.9 ± 0.2	77.5 ± 3.7	47.75 ± 6.17	0.46 ± 0.05
Average	39.7	7.5	9.2	77.0	15.6	0.5
Median	40.8	8.6	10.7	77.2	6.3	0.5
Deviation	2.6	5.4	6.6	0.6	19.9	0.0