Systematic Measurements of Ion-Proton Differential Streaming in the Solar Wind

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.106.151103· OSTI ID:21550293

Berger, L; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R F; Gloeckler, G ^[1]

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1. Extraterrestrial Physics, Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Leibnizstrasse 11-19, 24118 Kiel (Germany)

The small amount of heavy ions in the highly rarefied solar wind are sensitive tracers for plasma-physics processes, which are usually not accessible in the laboratory. We have analyzed differential streaming between heavy ions and protons in the solar wind at 1 AU. 3D velocity vector and magnetic field measurements from the Solar Wind Electron Proton Alpha Monitor and the Magnetometer aboard the Advanced Composition Explorer were used to reconstruct the ion-proton difference vector v{sub ip}=v{sub i}-v{sub p} from the 12 min 1D Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer observations. We find that all 44 analyzed heavy ions flow along the interplanetary magnetic field at velocities which are smaller than, but comparable to, the local Alfven speed C{sub A}. The flow speeds of 35 of the 44 ion species lie within the range of {+-}0.15C{sub A} around 0.55C{sub A}, the flow speed of He{sup 2+}.

• OSTI ID: 21550293
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.151103; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ELECTRONS
HEAVY IONS
HELIUM IONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOMETERS
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
PLASMA
PROTONS
SOLAR WIND
SPECTROMETERS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VECTORS
VELOCITY
BARYONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUCLEONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS
TENSORS