Resonant acceleration and heating of solar wind ions: Anisotropy and dispersion

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA089iA08p06613· OSTI ID:6107946

Isenberg, P A

This paper is an extension of recent work by Isenberg and Hollweg dealing with the preferential acceleration and heating of solar wind heavy ions by a resonant cyclotron interaction with a turbulent spectrum of ion-cyclotron waves. Two major approximations of the previous work are eliminated: that of isotropic ion distributions, and that of nondispersive waves. The wave action flux of finite-amplitude Alfven waves in a multi-ion, differentially flowing, gyrotropic plasma is derived. This quantity is incorporated into the wave-driven solar wind model of Isenberg and Hollweg, which is then applied to gyrotropic protons and alpha particles. It is found that allowing for nonisotropic ions yields enhanced preferential acceleration of alpha particles. However, when dispersion is included in the resonant interaction, the preferential effects are again reduced. These more realistic calculations show that the observations of solar wind alpha particles cannot be explained by a resonant cyclotron interaction.

• Research Organization: Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham
• OSTI ID: 6107946
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 89:A8; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640104* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Solar Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ALFVEN WAVES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CYCLOTRON RESONANCE
DISPERSION RELATIONS
HEATING
HEAVY IONS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
ION PLASMA WAVES
ION WAVES
IONS
PLASMA ACCELERATION
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA WAVES
RESONANCE
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
WAVE PROPAGATION