Multi-Spacecraft Observations of "Tassels" and "Dropouts": Features Associated With the Magnetic Flux Tube Structure of the Solar Wind
Abstract
We present ACE and WIND observations of energetic nuclei associated with impulsive solar flares. We analyze several events occurring from July 2000 to June 2001. In addition to the usual velocity dispersion associated with the transit in the heliospheric magnetic field of a small localized source of energetic particles on the Sun, these events also show intermittent behavior that may be related to the magnetic flux tube structure of the solar wind. These include sporadic "dropouts" in the particle intensity, and anomalous bursts of low-energy particles which we call "tassels". Tassels are dispersionless spikes extending to lower energies than the velocity dispersion, meaning the low energy particles are arriving earlier than expected. One possible explanation is that the tassels are due to the spacecraft passing through a flux tube that has a longer scattering mean free path than the majority of the tubes connected to the flare. Since both tassel events that we see occur during the passage of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection, another possible explanation is different magnetic field line path lengths from distortion due to the ICME's passage.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006AGUFMSH53A1474C
- Keywords:
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- 2114 Energetic particles (7514)