Parallel Electric Fields And Electron Heating Observed In The Young Solar Wind

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Mozer, Forrest, Agapitov, Oleksiy, Choi, Kyung-Eu, Sydora, Richard
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Mozer, Forrest
Agapitov, Oleksiy
Choi, Kyung-Eu
Sydora, Richard
author_facet Mozer, Forrest
Agapitov, Oleksiy
Choi, Kyung-Eu
Sydora, Richard
contents The largest electric fields between 18 and 30 solar radii are in narrow band waves simultaneously observed at a few Hz (somewhat above the local proton gyrofrequency) and a few hundred Hz (far below the lower hybrid frequency), with the higher frequency wave triggered at specific phases of the lower frequency wave. This wave pair, called triggered ion acoustic waves (TIAW), has been shown to both be physical and to occur at times of electron heating. A theory of electron heating and acceleration by the low frequency wave has been presented. While this theory and the TIAW results strongly suggest the presence of low frequency electric fields that are parallel to the local magnetic field, such fields have not been directly observed. In this paper, such parallel electric field observations are reported and TIAW are further described to conclude that they occur during about 75 percent of the Parker Solar Probe passes through 18 to 30 solar radii and, when present, they are the dominant wave signal, lasting for hours. In the presence of these parallel electric fields, electrons are heated while, in their absence, there is no electron heating. That there is no heating between 18 and 30 solar radii in the absence of TIAW is a most significant result because it invalidates other proposed mechanisms that predict heating in this radial range all of the time.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_08311
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Parallel Electric Fields And Electron Heating Observed In The Young Solar Wind
Mozer, Forrest
Agapitov, Oleksiy
Choi, Kyung-Eu
Sydora, Richard
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Plasma Physics
Space Physics
The largest electric fields between 18 and 30 solar radii are in narrow band waves simultaneously observed at a few Hz (somewhat above the local proton gyrofrequency) and a few hundred Hz (far below the lower hybrid frequency), with the higher frequency wave triggered at specific phases of the lower frequency wave. This wave pair, called triggered ion acoustic waves (TIAW), has been shown to both be physical and to occur at times of electron heating. A theory of electron heating and acceleration by the low frequency wave has been presented. While this theory and the TIAW results strongly suggest the presence of low frequency electric fields that are parallel to the local magnetic field, such fields have not been directly observed. In this paper, such parallel electric field observations are reported and TIAW are further described to conclude that they occur during about 75 percent of the Parker Solar Probe passes through 18 to 30 solar radii and, when present, they are the dominant wave signal, lasting for hours. In the presence of these parallel electric fields, electrons are heated while, in their absence, there is no electron heating. That there is no heating between 18 and 30 solar radii in the absence of TIAW is a most significant result because it invalidates other proposed mechanisms that predict heating in this radial range all of the time.
title Parallel Electric Fields And Electron Heating Observed In The Young Solar Wind
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Plasma Physics
Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.08311