Solar Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere

Details Solar Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere Solar Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere

2011-09-07

arxiv.org/abs/1109.1408v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

5 pages, 4 figures, accepted to appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

Scientific paper

We present and discuss the strong correspondence between evolution of the emission length scale in the lower transition region and in situ measurements of the fast solar wind composition during this most recent solar minimum. We combine recent analyses demonstrating the variance in the (supergranular) network emission length scale measured by SOHO (and STEREO) with that of the Helium abundance (from WIND) and the degree of Iron fractionation in the solar wind (from the ACE and Ulysses). The net picture developing is one where a decrease in the Helium abundance and the degree of Iron fractionation (approaching values expected of the photosphere) in the fast wind indicate a significant change in the process loading material into the fast solar wind during the recent solar minimum. This result is compounded by a study of the Helium abundance during the space age using the NASA OMNI database which shows a slowly decaying amount of Helium being driven into the heliosphere over the course of the several solar cycles.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Solar Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere 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 Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Solar Cycle Variations in the Elemental Abundance of Helium and Fractionation of Iron in the Fast Solar Wind - Indicators of an Evolving Energetic Release of Mass from the Lower Solar Atmosphere will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-306072