Physics
Scientific paper
May 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusmsh22a..03s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #SH22A-03
Physics
2111 Ejecta, Driver Gases, And Magnetic Clouds, 2114 Energetic Particles, Heliospheric (7514), 2164 Solar Wind Plasma
Scientific paper
Suprathermal electron distributions observed in the solar wind by ACE/SWEPAM and Ulysses/SWOOPS often show depletions centered on and symmetric about 90 degree pitch angle. In a recent study, Gosling et al. [2001] have suggested that on open field lines these distributions arise from a combination of focusing and mirroring of electrons associated with magnetic connection to field enhancements beyond 1 AU. A similar model has been proposed by Gosling et al. [2002] for formation of depletions on closed field lines, with the field enhancement provided by the double magnetic connection of the field line to the Sun. In this work, we provide a more complete characterization of 90 degree pitch angle depletions on both open and closed field lines. We characterize the fraction of time that depletions are observed in the solar wind, the angular width and depth of the depletions, the degree of symmetry of the depletions, and the relationships between depletions and CME-associated counterstreaming electrons. Depletion width provides a measure of the strength of the magnetic field enhancement relative to the field at the measurement location, while depth provides information about particle scattering between the field enhancement and the spacecraft. In addition, we test the open field line model of depletions by examining depletions upstream from reverse shocks observed by ACE. Depletions were observed at 11 of the 14 reverse shocks seen at ACE from February 1998 to March 2001. Many of these shocks were quite weak, with a lack of depletion associated with the weaker shocks. The widths of the shock-associated depletions are consistent with the predictions of Gosling et al. [2001], providing strong support for the validity of this model.
Gosling Jack T.
McComas David John
Skoug Ruth M.
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