Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind

Details Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012apj...744..100l&link_type=abstract

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 744, Issue 2, article id. 100 (2012).

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Atomic Processes, Solar Wind, Sun: Corona

Scientific paper

Oxygen charge states measured by in situ instrumentation have long been used as a powerful diagnostic of the solar corona and to discriminate between different solar wind regimes, both because they freeze in very close to the Sun, and because the oxygen element abundance is comparatively high, allowing for statistically relevant measures. Like oxygen, carbon is also rather abundant and freezes in very close to the Sun. Here, we show an analysis of carbon and oxygen ionic charge states. First, through auditory and Fourier analysis of in situ measurements of solar wind ion composition by ACE/SWICS we show that some carbon ion ratios are very sensitive to solar wind type, even more sensitive than the commonly used oxygen ion ratios. Then we study the evolution of the ionization states of carbon and oxygen by means of a freeze-in code, and find that carbon ions, commonly found in the solar wind, freeze in at comparable coronal distances, while oxygen ions evolve over a much larger range of coronal distances. Finally, we show that carbon and oxygen ion abundance ratios have similar sensitivity to the electron plasma temperature, but the carbon ratios are more robust against atomic physics uncertainties and a better indicator of the temperature of the solar wind source regions.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind 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 Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Carbon Ionization Stages as a Diagnostic of the Solar Wind will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-751243