MEASUREMENTS OF RAPID DENSITY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE SOLAR WIND

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/322· OSTI ID:21394380

Malaspina, D M; Ergun, R E ^[1]; Kellogg, P J ^[2]

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1. Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)
2. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

The power spectrum of density fluctuations in the solar wind is inferred by tracking small timescale changes in the electron plasma frequency during periods of strong Langmuir wave activity. STEREO electric field waveform data are used to produce time profiles of plasma density from which the density power spectrum is derived. The power spectra obtained by this method extend the observed frequency range by an order of magnitude while remaining consistent with previous results near a few Hertz. Density power spectral indices are found to be organized by the angle between the local magnetic field and the solar wind direction, indicating significant anisotropy in solar wind high-frequency density turbulence.

• OSTI ID: 21394380
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 711, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/322; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
DATA ANALYSIS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
FREQUENCY RANGE
LANGMUIR FREQUENCY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA DENSITY
POWER DENSITY
SOLAR WIND
SPECTRA
TURBULENCE
WAVE FORMS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS