Shock acceleration of energetic particles in corotating interaction regions in the solar wind

Journal Article · Tue Apr 15 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/157907· OSTI ID:5241938

Fisk, L A; Lee, M A

A simple shock model for the acceleration of energetic particles in corotating interaction regions (CIRs) in the solar wind is presented. Particles are accelerated at the forward and reverse shocks which bound the CIR by being compressed between the shock fronts and magnetic irregularities upstream from the shocks, or by being compressed between upstream irregularities and those downstream from the shocks. Particles also suffer adiabatic deceleration in the expanding solar wind, an effect not included in previous shock models for acceleration in CIRs. The model is able to account for the observed exponential spectra at Earth, the observed behavior of the spectra with radial distance, the observed radial gradients in the intensity, and the observed differences in the intensity and spectra at the forward and reverse shocks.

• Research Organization: Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham
• OSTI ID: 5241938
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 237:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SOLAR PARTICLES
PLASMA ACCELERATION
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR WIND
ACCELERATION
ADIABATIC PROCESSES
COSMIC RADIATION
ENERGY SPECTRA
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MECHANICS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR RADIATION
SPACE
SPECTRA
STELLAR RADIATION
640104* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Solar Phenomena