Study of alpha component dynamics in the solar wind using the Prognoz satellite
| ISSN: |
1573-093X
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| Source: |
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
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| Topics: |
Physics
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| Notes: |
Abstract The analysis of solar wind He++ and H+ ion distribution functions, collected over five months by the satellite Prognoz 1, shows that these are in general maxwellian but that often “tails” appear at higher speeds. The existing relation Vα-Tα, the observation of ratios of Tα/Tp ≈ 3.83 and Vα/Vp ≈ 1.035 give evidence of preferential He++ ion heating and acceleration. The criteria for heating by dissipation of hydromagnetic waves proposed by Barnes and Hung (1973) are tested experimentally. Finally, multifluid models are likely to predict certain observations such as dependence of the velocity ratio Vα/Vp on the solar wind flux.
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| Type of Medium: |
Electronic Resource
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| URL: |