3D Hybrid Simulation of the Self-Consistent Propagatinginterplanetary Shock Wave in the Solar Wind

Interplanetary shocks propagate in the interplanetary medium alone or as part of solar tran-sients as interplanetary coronal mass ejections, stream interaction regions, etc. . . Their interactionwith the terrestrial environment may trigger geomagnetic activity in the magnetosphere which mayeven cause damages of man-made devices for the most severe events. The common feature of theseshocks and front shocks is their large velocity relative to the ambient plasma.By means of a 3D hybrid PIC code, we simulate a steady solar wind and introduce a shock witha larger velocity at the entrance of the simulation box. We then let it self-consistently propagatein the interplanetary medium. As expected, we observe that the shock front is characterized bya jump of the plasma parameters. Immediately following the shock, a denser and more turbulentlayer is progressively forming and growing. We analyze the time evolution of the characteristicparameters of the shock and his following plasma layer. We discuss these results by comparison toobservations in the interplanetary medium upstream of Earth.