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Solar wind double ions beams and the heliospheric current sheetDouble ion beams are often observed in the solar wind, but little work has been done in relating these beams to structures within the solar wind. Double ion beams are observed as beams of a given ion species and charge state occurring at two different energies. We use the three-dimensional ion plasma instrument on board the Ulysses spacecraft to look for evidence of such beams associated with the heliospheric current sheet. In a subset chosen independently of plasma parameters consisting of 8 of cover 47 crossings of the current sheet made during the inecliptic phase of the Ulysses mission we find that these double ion beams are always present on either side of the current sheet. The double beams are present in both the proton and helium species. The secondary beam typically has a higher helium abundance, which suggests that these beams are formed in the helium-rich corona rather than in interplanetary space. The double beams are not present in the interior of the current sheet. Neither collisions nor effects of plasma beta can account for the disappearance of the double beams inside the current sheet in all eight cases. We postulate that these beams are formed by reconnection occurring near the Sun in the boundary region between the open field lines of the coronal holes and the closed field line region of the heliospheric current sheet. Such a scenario would be consistent with previous X ray measurements which suggect that reconnection is occurring in this region.
Document ID
19950058916
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Hammond, C. M.
(Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM United States)
Feldman, W. C.
(Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM United States)
Phillips, J. L.
(Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM United States)
Goldstein, B. E.
(Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA United States)
Balogh, A.
(Imperial College London, United Kingdom)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 100
Issue: A5
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Solar Physics
Accession Number
95A90515
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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