Observations of Non-Thermal Structure in the Proton Velocity Distribution Function Using Proton Beams Below 0.3 AU from Parker Solar Probe and at 1 AU with Wind
Abstract
Solar wind protons regularly deviate from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). Non-LTE features of the VDF can provide sources of free energy that drive instabilities. One such source of free energy is an excess temperature parallel to the local magnetic field, which may include a non-zero proton heat flux. We characterize this excess temperature with two drifting proton populations, one Maxwellian and one bi-. We compare proton beam and core measurements at two locations. At 1 AU, we report more than 20 years of measurements with the Wind/SWE Faraday cups. Below 0.3 AU, we also report their radial variation using measurements from the Parker Solar Probe SWEAP and Fields instruments.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMSH43C3381A
- Keywords:
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- 2799 General or miscellaneous;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS;
- 7599 General or miscellaneous;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7899 General or miscellaneous;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS;
- 7999 General or miscellaneous;
- SPACE WEATHER