Observed distribution functions of H, He, C, O, and Fe in corotating energetic particle streams: implications for interplanetary acceleration and propagation

Technical Report · Wed Feb 07 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5502707

Gloeckler, G; Hovestadt, D; Fisk, L A

Distribution functions for H, He, C, O, and Fe derived from our IMP 8 measurements of approximately 0.15 to approximately 8 MeV/nucleon particles in three corotating streams observed near earth are shown to have a simple exponential dependence on the particle speed. The e-folding speed, v/sub 0/, is typically 0.01c, is found to be the same for the distribution functions of all elements examined, and varies little from one corotating event to the next. The relative abundances of energetic particles in these events resemble most closely the solar coronal composition and, thus, presumably that of the solar wind. These results may imply that the acceleration of these particles, which occurs in corotating interaction regions at several AU from the sun, is by a statistical process.

• Research Organization: Maryland Univ., College Park (USA). Dept. of Physics
• OSTI ID: 5502707
• Report Number(s): N-79-21973
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
CARBON
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
FLUIDS
HELIUM
HYDROGEN
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
IRON
METALS
MEV RANGE
MOTION
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
RADIATIONS
RARE GASES
ROTATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
SPACE
STELLAR RADIATION
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VELOCITY
WAVE PROPAGATION