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Non-radial flow in the solar windAlthough the radial component of the solar wind dominates the solar wind speed, significant non-radial velocity components are also present. These flows are more difficult to measure accurately, but we now have data sets including the east-west (tangential) and north-south (normal) flows from PVO at Venus, IMP 8 at Earth, and Voyagers 1 and 2 from 1 to 45 AU. We compare the non-radial flow observations from these spacecraft. One of the more interesting features is that the north-south flow angle observed at Earth and Venus oscillates with the period of a local (Earth or Venus) year. These oscillations occur throughout two solar cycles in the IMP 8 data set and are very apparent in the PVO data from 1978 to 1986 but less obvious after this. We will report on the origin of this feature. The tangential flow observed by both IMP 8 and Voyager is on average slightly positive (approximately 1.75 km/s). The magnitudes of the nonradial velocity components decrease with distance from the Sun.
Document ID
19960021445
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Richardson, J. D.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA United States)
Paularena, K. I.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA United States)
Gazis, P. R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
June 30, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: International Solar Wind 8 Conference
Subject Category
Solar Physics
Accession Number
96N24841
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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