ACCELERATION OF THE SOLAR WIND BY ALFVEN WAVE PACKETS

作者：Galinsky V L^*; Shevchenko V I

来源：Astrophysical Journal, 2013, 763(1): 31.

DOI：10.1088/0004-637X/763/1/31

• acceleration of particles
• instabilities
• turbulence
• waves

A scale separation kinetic model of the solar wind acceleration is presented. The model assumes an isotropic Maxwellian distribution of protons and a constant influx of outward propagating Alfven waves with a single exponent Kolmogorov-type spectrum at the base of a coronal acceleration region (similar to 2 R-circle dot). Our results indicate that nonlinear cyclotron resonant interaction taking energy from Alfven waves and depositing it into mostly perpendicular heating of protons in initially weakly expanding plasma in a spherically non-uniform magnetic field is able to produce the typical fast solar wind velocities for the typical plasma and wave conditions after expansion to about 5-10 solar radii R-circle dot. The acceleration model takes into account the gravity force and the ambipolar electric field, as well as the mirror force, which plays the most important role in driving the solar wind acceleration. Contrary to the recent claims of Isenberg, the cold plasma dispersion only slightly slows down the acceleration and actually helps in obtaining the more realistic fast solar wind speeds.

• 出版日期2013-1-20