DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15318625
title: Automated MMS Burst-mode Bow Shock Locations and Normals

description: This file contains the time and location of bow shock crossings seen in all four MMS probes over 8 years of dayside observations determined with three methods (sigmoid fitting, cross-correlation, and a statistical model. The statistical model is from Yeakel et al. (doi: 10.22541/essoar.174241659.95442361/v1) and the automated sigmoid fitting and cross-correlation are described in Toy-Edens et al.’s Automated Bow Shock Identification and Multi-Spacecraft Timing using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Observations (in prep).

If you use any parts of the dataset, please cite Toy-Edens et al.’s Automated Bow Shock Identification and Multi-Spacecraft Timing using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Observations (DOI: 10.1029/2025JA034252).

This work was funded by grant 2225463 from the NSF GEM program.

 

The following tables detail the contents of the “bow_shock_normals_3methods.csv” file:






Column Name



Description





sigmoid_bow_shock_time_mms{probe}



Epoch of bow shock ramp for MMS{probe} (1,2,3,4) using the automated sigmoid method (see paper for more details)





sigmoid_r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}



{x/y/z} position in GSE of MMS{probe} (1,2,3,4) for the bow shock ramp epoch determined with the automated sigmoid method





sigmoid_r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}_prime



Same as “sigmoid_r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}” except the position is corrected for aberration in GSE (see paper for more details)





sigmoid_n_{x/y/z}_mean



The average bow shock normal component in {x/y/z} using multi spacecraft timing methods on the epochs and locations of the bow shocks determined with the automated sigmoid method





sigmoid_n_{x/y/z}_mean



The standard deviation of bow shock normal component in {x/y/z} using multi spacecraft timing methods on the epochs and locations of the bow shocks determined with the automated sigmoid method





model_norm_{x/y/z}



The model bow shock boundary or normal in {x/y/z} from Yeakel et al. (DOI: 10.22541/essoar.174241659.95442361/v1)  for 45 degree IMF. Corrected for aberration (see paper for details)





cross_corr_bow_shock_time_mms{probe}



Epoch of bow shock ramp for MMS{probe} (1,2,3,4) using the automated cross-correlation method (see paper for more details)





cross_corr _r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}



{x/y/z} position in GSE of MMS{probe} (1,2,3,4) for the bow shock ramp epoch determined with the automated cross-correlation method





cross_corr_r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}_prime



Same as “cross_corr_r_{x/y/z}_gse_mms{probe}” except the position is corrected for aberration in GSE (see paper for more details)





cross_corr _n_{x/y/z}_mean



The average bow shock normal component in {x/y/z} using multi spacecraft timing methods on the epochs and locations of the bow shocks determined with the automated cross-correlation method





cross_corr _n_{x/y/z}_mean



The standard deviation of bow shock normal component in {x/y/z} using multi spacecraft timing methods on the epochs and locations of the bow shocks determined with the automated cross-correlation method





 transition



Transition names (quasi-perpendicular bow shock, quasi-perpendicular bow shock) determined from Toy-Edens et al. 2024 (DOI:10.1029/2024JA032431).





b{x/y/z}_upstream



Upstream magnetic field component {x/y/z}. See paper for more details.





theta_{sigmoid/cross/model}_{sigmoid/cross/model}



The angle in degrees between bow shock normals determined by three methods {sigmoid/cross/model} to the other methods besides themselves





theta_imf_{sigmoid/cross/model}



The angle in degrees between bow shock normals determined by three methods {sigmoid/cross/model} to the upstream magnetic field vector (i.e. theta BN for different methods)





theta_imf_{sigmoid/cross/model}_max90



Same as “theta_imf_{sigmoid/cross/model}” except if the value is greater than 90 degrees we take the supplementary angle.