Abstract
The temperature in the acceleration region of the solar wind remains one of the most elusive parameters to measure. Knowledge of the temperature as well as its gradient in the inner corona is fundamental for placing constraints on physical mechanisms thought to be responsible for the coronal heating process, as well as for understanding the flow properties of the solar wind. Estimates of the helium abundance is essential for understanding the puzzling behavior of heavier ions in the solar wind. As an illustration of the difficulties and uncertainties involved in the inferences of plasma parameters in the wolar wind acceleration region, The inference of electron temperature and helium abundance will be described. Prospects for future observations will be briefly discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bame, S. T., et al.: 1977,J. Geophys. Res.,82, 1487.
Bürgi, A., and J. Geiss: 1986,Sol. Phys.,103, 347.
Domingo, V. (ed.): 1989,The SOHO Mission — Scientific and Technical Aspects of the Instruments, ESA SP-1104.
Habbal, S. R. and G. L. Withbroe: 1981,Solar Phys. 69, 77.
Habbal, S. R., R. Esser, and M. B. Arndt: 1993,Ap. J.,413, 435.
Habbal, S. R., and R. Esser: 1994,Ap. J.,421, L59.
Koutchmy, S.: 1977,Solar Phys.,51, 399.
Joselyn, J. A. and T. E. Holzer: 1978,J. Geophys. Res. 83, 1019.
Mariska, J. T.: 1992,The Solar Transition Region, Cambridge University Press.
Parkinson, J. H. and A. H. Gabriel: 1986,Adv. Space Res. 6 (8), 243.
Reeves, E. M., et al.: 1977,Appl. Optics,16, 849.
Thieme, K. M., E. Marsch, and R. Schwenn: 1989, Adv. Space Res.,9, 127.
Tsuneta, S., et al.: 1991,Solar Phys.,136, 37.
Woo, R.: 1995,this volume.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Habbal, S.R. Inferences of plasma parameters from coronal hole observations. Astrophys Space Sci 243, 49–56 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644032
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644032