Interplanetary Gas. XIX. Observational Evidence for a Meridional Solar-Wind Flow Diverging from the Plane of the Solar Equator

The astrometric technique used by Brandt, Roosen, and Harrington is reapplied to the analysis of ionic comet-tail orientations but allowing for the possibility of a meridional flow converging or diverging from the plane of the solar equator. Our best solution indicates significant meridional flow away from the solar equator amounting to 2.6 i 1.2 km 1 at 1 a.u. for solar latitudes of i45 the associated best values for the radial and azimuthal speeds are 402 i 12 and 7.0 1 1.8 km , respectively. The meridional flow found here is in agreement with the theoretical estimate by Suess and Nerney. Subject headings: comets - interplanetary medium - solar wind