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Anomalous acceleration of minor ions in the solar wind

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Abstract

OBSERVATIONS of the solar wind plasma have shown that the bulk speed of helium ions often exceeds that of the protons, provided conditions are such that Coulomb collisions are ineffective in coupling the two species together1,2. We describe here a mechanism which could produce this unexpected effect for any minor ion species, based on the assumption that the sun is a copious emitter of Alfvén waves, as is indeed observed3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Space Research Institute, Lyngby, Denmark

    J. F. MCKENZIE

  2. Max-Planck -Institut für Aeronomie, D-3411, Katlenburg-Lindau, 3, FRG

    W.-H. IP & W. I. AXFORD

Authors
  1. J. F. MCKENZIE
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  2. W.-H. IP
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  3. W. I. AXFORD
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MCKENZIE, J., IP, WH. & AXFORD, W. Anomalous acceleration of minor ions in the solar wind. Nature 274, 350–351 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/274350a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/274350a0

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