Electrostatic noise at the plasma frequency beyond the earth's bow shock

Scarf et al. (1971) and Dunckel (1974) have shown that there are, very frequently, intense electrostatic waves whose frequency is near the plasma frequency upstream of the earth's bow shock and that these waves are correlated with the presence of energetic electrons from the bow shock. Also, Fredericks et al. (1971) have postulated a two-stream instability. The paper investigates these phenomena further, by comparing electrostatic noise at or near the ambient solar wind plasma frequency with times when the interplanetary magnetic field probably connects to the shock. Evidence is presented that Scarf et al. and Fredericks et al. were correct in their explanation of the phenomenon, and that the double-humped distribution would be expected only in a region too small to be resolved by the plasma measurements made so far.