Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh13b1977s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH13B-1977
Physics
Plasma Physics
[7867] Space Plasma Physics / Wave/Particle Interactions
Scientific paper
Sweeping mechanism of absorption of Alfven wave energy in the divergent solar wind is modeled by using a scale-separation model [1]. MHD waves are excited through reconnection at the sun with the wave frequency spectrum that is below the local ion cyclotron frequency. The maximum frequency of the wave packet reaches the cyclotron frequency of the heavy ions when the wave packet propagates within the lower corona in the outward direction in decreasing magnetic field. The fluctuations with highest frequencies will be absorbed by ions but at larger distances harmonics with smaller frequencies fall in cyclotron resonance with heavy ions and can eventually form the shell-like ion distribution. The ions with a shell distribution function don't absorb Alfven fluctuations from the low frequency part of the spectrum by cyclotron interaction at larger distances. Amplitude of these harmonics can even be amplified due to such an interaction [2]. As a result, part of the wave spectrum can reach at some heliocentric distance the cyclotron frequency of alpha particles where the same processes of wave absorption and shell distribution formation take place. Eventually, the remaining low frequency part of the spectrum can fall in cyclotron resonance with protons at larger distances from the sun. These fluctuations are responsible for the solar wind heating and acceleration. We answer the question: Will the wave spectrum be completely absorbed by minor heavy ions and alpha particles and do we need some additional mechanism of generation of the MHD waves interacting with protons? 1. Galinsky V.L. and V.I. Shevchenko, Nonlinear cyclotron resonant wave-particle interaction in a nonuniform magnetic field, Phys. Rev. Lett, 85, 90, 2000. 2. Shevchenko, V., V. Galinsky, R. Sagdeev, and D. Winske, Macro-scale instability of the ion shell distribution function in the divergent solar wind, Phys. Plasmas, 11, 4290, 2004.
Galinsky Vitaly
Shevchenko V. I.
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