A study of phase-steepened Alfvén waves in a high-speed stream at 0.29 AU
This work performs a search of phase-steepened Alfvén waves under a priori ideal conditions: a high-speed solar wind stream observed in one of the closest approaches to the Sun by any spacecraft (Helios 2). Five potential candidates were initially found following procedures established in earlie...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2000-08-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/18/845/2000/angeo-18-845-2000.pdf |
| Summary: | This work performs a search of phase-steepened
Alfvén waves under a priori ideal conditions: a high-speed solar wind stream
observed in one of the closest approaches to the Sun by any spacecraft (Helios
2). Five potential candidates were initially found following procedures
established in earlier work. The observed cases exhibited arc-like or elliptical
polarizations, and the rotational discontinuities that formed the abrupt wave
edges were found at either the leading or the trailing part. The consideration
of some additional specific parameters (mainly related to the relative
orientation between mean magnetic field, wave and discontinuity) has been
suggested here for an ultimate and proper identification of this kind of
phenomenon. After the inclusion of these calculations in our analysis, even
fewer cases than the five originals remain. It is suggested that optimum
conditions for the detection rather than just for the existence of these events
have to be reconsidered.<br><br><b>Key words:</b> Interplanetary physics (discontinuities; MHD
waves and turbulence; solar wind plasma) |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |