Evidence of a Solar Origin for Pressure Balance Structures in the High-Latitude Solar Wind

Ulysses observations of the high-latitude solar wind have shown that on time scales of \u3c 1 day, the polar wind is dominated by pressure balance structures (PBSs). Fluctuations of the plasma beta within PBSs appear to be strongly correlated with fluctuations in the helium abundance. The correlation occurs in both the northern and southern hemispheres. In addition, a mechanism is apparently at work in the high-latitude solar wind that dissipates the beta/He correlation over a distance of a few AU. Solar wind composition is established at the base of the corona; thus, the He abundance signature strongly suggests the observed solar wind PBSs are associated with structures low in the solar atmosphere. In particular, high-beta structures appear to originate in locations of enhanced He abundance. We suggest an interpretation of the high-beta portion of PBSs as the solar wind extensions of polar plumes

Variations in solar wind fractionation as seen by ACE/SWICS over a solar cycle and the implications for Genesis Mission results

We use ACE/SWICS elemental composition data to compare the variations in solar wind fractionation as measured by SWICS during the last solar maximum (1999-2001), the solar minimum (2006-2009) and the period in which the Genesis spacecraft was collecting solar wind (late 2001 - early 2004). We differentiate our analysis in terms of solar wind regimes (i.e. originating from interstream or coronal hole flows, or coronal mass ejecta). Abundances are normalized to the low-FIP ion magnesium to uncover correlations that are not apparent when normalizing to high-FIP ions. We find that relative to magnesium, the other low-FIP elements are measurably fractionated, but the degree of fractionation does not vary significantly over the solar cycle. For the high-FIP ions, variation in fractionation over the solar cycle is significant: greatest for Ne/Mg and C/Mg, less so for O/Mg, and the least for He/Mg. When abundance ratios are examined as a function of solar wind speed, we find a strong correlation, with the remarkable observation that the degree of fractionation follows a mass-dependent trend. We discuss the implications for correcting the Genesis sample return results to photospheric abundances.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Absolute measurement of dielectronic recombination for C3+ in a known external field

An absolute measurement of the rate coefficient for dielectronic recombination (DR) of C3+, via the 2s-2p core excitation, in an external electric field of 11.4±0.9(1σ) V cm-1 is presented. An inclined-beam arrangement is used and the stabilizing photons at ∼155 nm are detected in delayed coincidence with the recombined ions. The full width at half maximum of the electron energy spread in the ion rest frame is 1.74±0.22(1σ) eV. The measured DR rate, at a mean electron energy of 8.26±0.07(1σ) eV, is (2.76±0.75)×10-10 cm3 s-1. The uncertainty quoted for the DR rate is the total uncertainty, systematic and statistical, at the 1σ level. In comparing the present results to theory, a semiempirical formula is used to determine which recombined ion states are ionized by the 4.65 kV cm-1 fields in the final-charge-state analyzer and not detected. For the present results, any DR of the incident electrons into n levels greater than 44 is assumed to be field ionized in the final-charge-state analyzer. A more precise treatment of field ionization, which includes the lifetime of the C2+ ions before they are ionized and the time evolution and rotation of the fields experienced by the recombined ions, is needed before a definitive comparison between experiment and theory can be made. Our DR measurement, within the limits of that approach, agrees reasonably well with an intermediate coupling calculation that uses an isolated resonance, single-configuration approximation, but does not agree with pure LS-coupling calculations

Absolute cross section for Si2+(3s21S→3s3p1P) electron-impact excitation

We have measured the absolute cross section for electron-impact excitation (EIE) of Si2+(3s21S→3s3p1P) from energies below threshold to 11 eV above. A beams modulation technique with inclined electron and ion beams was used. Radiation at 120.7 nm from the excited ions was detected using an absolutely calibrated optical system. The fractional population of the Si2+(3s3p3Po) metastable state in the incident ion beam was determined to be 0.210±0.018 (1.65σ). The data have been corrected for contributions to the signal from radiative decay following excitation from the metastable state to 3s3p1P and 3p23P, and excitation from the ground state to levels above the 3s3p1P level. The experimental 0.56±0.08-eV energy spread allowed us to resolve complex resonance structure throughout the studied energy range. At the reported ±14% total experimental uncertainty level (1.65σ), the measured structure and absolute scale of the cross section are in good agreement with 12-state close-coupling R-matrix calculations

Reevaluation of experiments and new theoretical calculations for electron-impact excitation of C3+

Experimental absolute-rate coefficients for electron-impact excitation of C3+ (2s2S1/2→2p2P1/2,3/2) near threshold [D. W. Savin, L. D. Gardner, D. B. Reisenfeld, A. R. Young, and J. L. Kohl, Phys. Rev. A 51, 2162 (1995)] have been reanalyzed to include a more accurate determination of optical efficiency and revised radiometric uncertainties which reduce the total systematic uncertainty of the results. Also, new R matrix with pseudostates (RMPS) calculations for this transition near threshold are presented. Comparison of the RMPS results to those of simpler close-coupling calculations indicates the importance of accounting for target continuum effects. The reanalyzed results of Savin et al. are in excellent agreement with the RMPS calculations; comparisons are also made to other measurements of this excitation. Agreement with the RMPS results is better for fluorescence technique measurements than for electron-energy-loss measurements

First IBEX observations of the terrestrial plasma sheet and a possible disconnection event

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission has recently provided the first all-sky maps of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) emitted from the edge of the heliosphere as well as the first observations of ENAs from the Moon and from the magnetosheath stagnation region at the nose of the magnetosphere. This study provides the first IBEX images of the ENA emissions from the nightside magnetosphere and plasma sheet. We show images from two IBEX orbits: one that displays typical plasma sheet emissions, which correlate reasonably well with a model magnetic field, and a second that shows a significant intensification that may indicate a near-Earth (similar to 10 R(E) behind the Earth) disconnection event. IBEX observations from similar to 0.5-6 keV indicate the simultaneous addition of both a hot (several keV) and colder (similar to 700 eV) component during the intensification; if IBEX directly observed magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail, the hot component may signify the plasma energization

Evolving outer heliosphere: Large-scale stability and time variations observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer

The first all-sky maps of Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) exhibited smoothly varying, globally distributed flux and a narrow ribbon of enhanced ENA emissions. In this study we compare the second set of sky maps to the first in order to assess the possibility of temporal changes over the 6 months between views of each portion of the sky. While the large-scale structure is generally stable between the two sets of maps, there are some remarkable changes that show that the heliosphere is also evolving over this short timescale. In particular, we find that (1) the overall ENA emissions coming from the outer heliosphere appear to be slightly lower in the second set of maps compared to the first, (2) both the north and south poles have significantly lower (similar to 10-15%) ENA emissions in the second set of maps compared to the first across the energy range from 0.5 to 6 keV, and (3) the knot in the northern portion of the ribbon in the first maps is less bright and appears to have spread and/or dissipated by the time the second set was acquired. Finally, the spatial distribution of fluxes in the southernmost portion of the ribbon has evolved slightly, perhaps moving as much as 6 degrees (one map pixel) equatorward on average. The observed large-scale stability and these systematic changes at smaller spatial scales provide important new information about the outer heliosphere and its global interaction with the galaxy and help inform possible mechanisms for producing the IBEX ribbon

Helium Energetics in the High-Latitude Solar Wind: Ulysses Observations

We present a study of the interplanetary evolution of solar wind helium (alpha particle) energetics. The analysis of Ulysses observations of the fast high-latitude solar wind concentrates on the radial evolution of the alpha-proton differential streaming vαp, the alpha temperature, and the alpha temperature anisotropy. Ulysses observations show that the average vαp steadily decreases with radius, ranging from ∼40 km s−1 at 1.5 AU to ∼15 km s−1 at 4.2 AU. In addition, observations indicate that the alphas cool more slowly than what would be expected from adiabatic expansion. The radial increase in the nonadiabatic heat content of the alphas matches the free energy liberated as vαp decreases with distance, suggesting that the dissipated energy acts to heat the alpha particles. The alphas also exhibit a temperature anisotropy of T⊥α/T‖α = 0.87, which is essentially constant with distance. These and other observations reported here place stringent constraints on recent plasma microinstability models that attempt to explain the evolution of alpha-proton differential streaming and ion heating in the heliosphere

Determining the Elemental and Isotopic Composition of the preSolar Nebula from Genesis Data Analysis: The Case of Oxygen

We compare element and isotopic fractionations measured in solar wind samples collected by NASA's Genesis mission with those predicted from models incorporating both the ponderomotive force in the chromosphere and conservation of the first adiabatic invariant in the low corona. Generally good agreement is found, suggesting that these factors are consistent with the process of solar wind fractionation. Based on bulk wind measurements, we also consider in more detail the isotopic and elemental abundances of O. We find mild support for an O abundance in the range 8.75 - 8.83, with a value as low as 8.69 disfavored. A stronger conclusion must await solar wind regime specific measurements from the Genesis samples.Comment: 6 pages, accepted by Astrophysical Journal Letter