Power spectra of the interplanetary magnetic field near the earth

Power spectra of the interplanetary magnetic field measured by near-earth satellites upstream from the earth's bow shock are free from terrestrial contamination provided the field at the satellite does not intersect the bow shock. Considerable spectral enhancement for the range of frequencies 0.01 to 1.00 Hz, due to turbulence caused by the shock, may occur if the field observed at the satellite intersects the shock. This turbulence occurs frequently in both the morning and afternoon quadrants. In the frequency band from 0.07 to 1 Hz, this noise decreases in amplitude with radial distance from the shock with an attenuation length of 4 R sub E.