  The nature of the magnetic structure arising from ion specular reflection in
shock compression studies is examined by means of 1d particle in cell
simulations. Propagation speed, field profiles and supporting currents for this
magnetic structure are shown to be consistent with a magnetosonic soliton.
Coincidentally, this structure and its evolution are typical of foot structures
observed in perpendicular shock reformation. To reconcile these two
observations, we propose, for the first time, that shock reformation can be
explained as the result of the formation, growth and subsequent transition to a
super-critical shock of a magnetosonic soliton. This argument is further
supported by the remarkable agreement found between the period of the soliton
evolution cycle and classical reformation results. This new result suggests
that the unique properties of solitons can be used to shed new light on the
long-standing issue of shock non-stationarity and its role on particle
acceleration.
