Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh43f..01c&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH43F-01
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2149] Interplanetary Physics / Mhd Waves And Turbulence, [2169] Interplanetary Physics / Solar Wind Sources, [7509] Solar Physics, Astrophysics, And Astronomy / Corona, [7863] Space Plasma Physics / Turbulence
Scientific paper
Despite many years of study, the basic physical processes that are responsible for producing the solar wind are not known (or at least not universally agreed upon). The fact that we have an overabundance of proposed ideas for solving the problems of coronal heating and wind acceleration can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it highlights the insight and creativity of the community, but it is a curse because we still do not know how to validate or falsify many of these ideas. Discerning the presence of any given proposed mechanism is difficult not only because measurements are limited, but also because many of the suggested processes act on a wide range of spatial scales (from centimeters to solar radii) with complex feedback effects that are not yet understood. This presentation will discuss a few key examples and controversies regarding the importance of small spatial and temporal scales in the regions where the solar wind is accelerated. For example, new observations have led to a revived debate about whether the hot plasma in the solar wind is injected dynamically from cooler regions below or whether it "evaporates" from the combined effects of radiation and conduction from above. There is also debate about how the open field lines are energized: Is the energy input from waves and turbulent eddies that propagate up from the Sun and dissipate, or is the constantly evolving magnetic carpet responsible for heating the plasma via reconnection? In some areas, traditional observational diagnostics of magnetohydrodynamic plasma properties may not be sufficient to distinguish between competing predictions. Thus, this presentation will also describe why it is probably wise to confront the truly microscopic (nonlinear, non-Maxwellian, collisionless) nature of the relevant particles and fields. Theories and measurements that "zoom in" to this level of kinetic detail have the greatest potential for improving our understanding of the origins of coronal heating and solar wind acceleration.
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