Proton-driven electromagnetic instabilities in high-speed solar wind streams

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA084iA02p00553· OSTI ID:6326240

Abraham-Shrauner, B; Asbridge, J R; Bame, S J; Feldman, W C

Electromagnetic instabilities of the field-aligned, right-hand circularly polarized magnetosonic wave and the left-hand circularly polarized Alfven wave driven by two drifted proton components are analyzed for model parameters determined from Imp 7 solar wind proton data measured during high-speed flow conditions. Growth rates calculated using bi-Lorentzian forms for the main and beam proton as well as core and halo electron velocity distributions do not differ significantly from those calculated using bi-Maxwellian forms. Using distribution parameters determined from 17 measured proton spectra, we show that considering the uncertainties the magnetosonic wave ay be linearly stable and the Alfven wave is linearly unstable. Because proton velocity distribution function shapes are observed to persist for times long compared to the proton gyroperiod, the latter results suggest that linear stability theory fails for proton-driven ion cyclotron waves in the high-speed solar wind.

• Research Organization: Department of Electrical Engineering and McDonnell Center for Space Sciences Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130
• OSTI ID: 6326240
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 84:A2; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640104* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Solar Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYONS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY SPECTRA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
HADRONS
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
ION PLASMA WAVES
ION WAVES
ISOLATED VALUES
LEPTONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
PROTONS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR PROTONS
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
SPECTRA
STELLAR RADIATION