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Solar Wind Collisionless Shocks

One goal of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) is getting data on the solar wind.

The recent NASA news story about MMS is somewhat sensational.

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These shocks, made of particles and electromagnetic waves, are launched by the Sun.

Interplanetary shocks are a type of collisionless shock — ones where particles transfer energy through electromagnetic fields instead of directly bouncing into one another. These collisionless shocks are a phenomenon found throughout the universe, including in supernovae, black holes and distant stars. MMS studies collisionless shocks around Earth to gain a greater understanding of shocks across the universe.

Interplanetary shocks start at the Sun, which continually releases streams of charged particles called the solar wind.

 Particularly now, after seeing a strong interplanetary shock, MMS scientists are hoping to be able to spot weaker ones that are much rarer and less well understood. Finding a weaker event could help open up a new regime of shock physics.
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A 'collisionless shock' is an oxymoron. 'Solar wind' is not a wind, which can arise from an air pressure difference.
I am surprised a continuous stream can cause a shock.

I was unaware of 'a new regime of shock physics' but I discovered:
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Washington State University recently announced the extension of its internationally recognized Institute for Shock Physics. '

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