Probing the magnetic topologies of magnetic clouds by means of solar energetic particles

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91JA00659· OSTI ID:5318291

Kahler, S W ^[1]; Reames, D V ^[2]

---

1. Boston Coll., Newton, MA (USA)
2. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)

Magnetic clouds are large (<0.25 AU) interplanetary regions with topologies consistent with those of magnetic loops. They are of interest because they may be an interplanetary signature of coronal mass ejections. Clouds have been identified in solar wind data by their magnetic properties and by the presence of bidirectional particle fluxes. Two possible closed magnetic topologies have been considered for clouds: (1) an elongated bottle with field lines rooted at both ends in the Sun and (2) a detached magnetic bubble or plasmoid consisting of closed field lines. The inferred topologies are also consistent with open field lines that converge beyond 1 AU. The authors have used solar energetic particles (SEPs) as probes of the cloud topologies. The rapid access of SEPs to the interiors of many clouds indicates that the cloud field lines extend back to the Sun and hence are not plasmoids. The small modulation of galactic cosmic rays associated with clouds also suggests that the magnetic fields of clouds are not closed.

• OSTI ID: 5318291
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A6; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640104* -- Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology-- Solar Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC RADIATION
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICS
MODULATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
SPACE
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE
STELLAR RADIATION
TOPOLOGY