Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations

Details Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations

Mar 2000

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000apj...532l..71e&link_type=abstract

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 532, Issue 1, pp. L71-L74.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

47

Sun: Solar Wind, Sun: Atmosphere, Sun: Corona

Scientific paper

It has been a puzzle for quite some time that spectroscopic measurements in the inner corona indicate electron temperatures far too low to produce the ion fractions observed in situ in the solar wind. In the present Letter, we show that in order to reconcile the two sets of measurements, a number of conditions have to exist in the inner corona: (1) The electron distribution function has to be Maxwellian or close to Maxwellian at the coronal base, (2) the non-Maxwellian character of the distribution has to develop rapidly as a function of height and has to reach close to interplanetary properties inside of a few solar radii, and (3) ions of different elements have to flow with significantly different speeds to separate their ``freezing-in'' distances sufficiently so that they can encounter different distribution functions. We choose two examples to demonstrate that these conditions are general requirements if both coronal electron temperatures and in situ ion fractions are correct. However, these two examples also show that the details of the required distribution functions are very sensitive to the exact electron temperature, density, and ion flow speed profiles in the region of the corona where the ions predominantly form.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations 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 Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Reconciling Spectroscopic Electron Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona with In Situ Charge State Observations will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1429360