Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory

Details Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory

Dec 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agufmsh51c0288s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2004, abstract #SH51C-0288

Physics

2134 Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, 2149 Mhd Waves And Turbulence, 2152 Pickup Ions, 2164 Solar Wind Plasma

Scientific paper

We review observations of solar wind heating in the outer heliosphere as measured by the Voyager 2 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft and described previously by a theory of pickup ion wave excitation and turbulent transport. That theory was most recently applied to observations by Smith et al. [2001] and with significant revision of the pickup proton component by Isenberg et al. [2003]. We extend the application of the theory to include time variation of solar wind parameters as recorded by the Omnitape dataset of 1 AU measurements. We also extend the range of heliocentric distances made available by the more recent Voyager data. By averaging Omnitape observations over several solar rotations and using the resulting values as input to the theory, we are able to reproduce the variability of the thermal proton temperatures observed in the outer heliosphere. This is seen to be a direct result of the dependence of energy injection by pickup protons upon bulk solar wind parameters such as Alfven speed and wind speed and the fact that these parameters persist in a predictable manner from 1 AU to the outer heliosphere. There is also evidence of latitudinal effects during solar minimum that may be explainable by using high-latitude observations by Ulysses as input for the theory. Smith et al., JGR, A106, 8253-8272 [2001] Isenberg et al., ApJ, 592, 564-573 [2003]

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Solar Wind Heating: Critical Tests of a Turbulence Theory will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1463120