Consequences of the large ambipolar electric field in the solar wind
Conference
·
OSTI ID:266932
The parallel electric field in the solar wind is much smaller than the V x B motional electric field, yet in the proper dimensions units it is very `large`. At the orbit of earth it is within a few percent of being at the Dreicer limit. This `large` electric field is required for quasi-neutrality; it will be shown to have interesting consequences for the electron velocity distribution function and the description of transport of heat. Interestingly, a similar dimensionless situation also occurs at the base of the transition region, while below the transition region the dimensionless electric field is very weak. These facts suggest a new way to look at the thermal-suprathermal dichotomy in velocity distributions as the response of a plasma where charge neutrality requires such large dimensionless electric fields.
- Research Organization:
- Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 266932
- Report Number(s):
- N--96-24651; NASA-CR--199940; JPL-PUBL--95-13; NAS--1.26:199940; NIPS--95-06571; CONF-9506256--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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