What happens at termination shock?

The termination shock is the point in the heliosphere where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed (relative to the Sun) because of interactions with the local interstellar medium. This causes compression, heating, and a change in the magnetic field.

What is the termination and bow shock?

Moving away from the Sun, the point where the solar wind flow becomes subsonic is the termination shock, the point where the interstellar medium and solar wind pressures balance is the heliopause, and the point where the flow of the interstellar medium becomes subsonic would be the bow shock.

What is heliopause in astronomy?

heliopause, boundary of the heliosphere, the spherical region around the Sun that is filled with solar magnetic fields and the outward-moving solar wind consisting of protons and electrons. The shape of the heliopause fluctuates and is influenced by a wind of interstellar gas caused by the Sun’s motion through space.

Where is the termination shock located?

The termination shock is the boundary marking one of the outer limits of the Sun’s influence, and is one boundary of the solar system. It is where the bubble of solar wind particles slows down so that the particles are traveling slower than the speed of sound.

Why do bow shocks form?

When planets, stars, and the plasma clouds ejected from supernovae fly at a high speed through this surrounding medium, cosmic bow shocks are generated in that medium. The solar wind forms a bow shock in front of Earth’s magnetosphere.

What is beyond the Oort Cloud?

Outside Neptune’s orbit is the Kuiper Belt. Beyond the fringes of the Kuiper belt is the Oort Cloud. Unlike the orbits of the planets and the Kuiper Belt, which are pretty flat like a disk, It’s a giant spherical shell surrounding the sun, planets, and Kuiper Belt Objects.

What does termination shock mean in science?

Also found in: Wikipedia. termination shock. n. An outer region of the solar system, about 8 billion miles (12.8 billion kilometers) from the Sun, where a standing shock wave is generated as the solar wind, encountering the interstellar medium, slows to subsonic speeds.

What is a shock wave in the Solar System?

An outer region of the solar system, about 8 billion miles (12.8 billion kilometers) from the Sun, where a standing shock wave is generated as the solar wind, encountering the interstellar medium, slows to subsonic speeds. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

What is a bow shock?

Bow shock: As the heliosphere plows through interstellar space, a bow shock forms, much as forms in front of a boulder in a stream. Voyager 2: Voyager 2 has visited more planets than any other spacecraft, swinging by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.