ASYMMETRIC SOLAR WIND ELECTRON DISTRIBUTIONS

Journal Article · Mon Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/755/2/112· OSTI ID:22039092

Yoon, Peter H; Kim, Sunjung; Lee, Junggi; Lee, Junhyun; Park, Jongsun; Park, Kyungsun; Seough, Jungjoon ^[1]; Hong, Jinhy ^[2]

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1. School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of)
2. Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

The present paper provides a possible explanation for the solar wind electron velocity distribution functions possessing asymmetric energetic tails. By numerically solving the electrostatic weak turbulence equations that involve nonlinear interactions among electrons, Langmuir waves, and ion-sound waves, it is shown that different ratios of ion-to-electron temperatures lead to the generation of varying degrees of asymmetric tails. The present finding may be applicable to observations in the solar wind near 1 AU and in other regions of the heliosphere and interplanetary space.

• OSTI ID: 22039092
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 755, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
ASYMMETRY
DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRON EMISSION
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
HELIOSPHERE
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
IONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR WIND
SOUND WAVES
SUN
TURBULENCE