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Observations of the velocity distribution of solar wind ionsMeasurements made by the Isee 3 ion composition experiment have been used to determine the kinetic temperatures of 3He(++), 4He(++), 16O(6+), and 16O(7+) in the solar wind. It is found that these temperatures generally obey the relation that T(i)/m(i) equals const, but fluctuations, some of which are caused by dynamical effects in the flow, are observed. The temperature of oxygen sometimes rises above 10 K, which is very strong evidence for heating outside the collisional region of the corona. The tendency toward equal temperatures per nucleon occurs everywhere where collisions are unimportant, suggesting that the temperatures are set up close to the sun rather than elsewhere in the interplanetary medium. The velocity distribution function of helium is observed to be non-Maxwellian, with a pronounced high velocity tail.
Document ID
19810030295
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Ogilvie, K. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Greenbelt, Md., United States)
Bochsler, P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Geiss, J.
(Bern, Universitaet Berne, Switzerland)
Coplan, M. A.
(Maryland, University College Park, Md., United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1980
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 85
Subject Category
Solar Physics
Accession Number
81A14699
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-25472
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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