Volumes and Issues  Contents of Issue 1  Special Issue  
Astrophys. Space Sci. Trans., 2, 19-25, 2006
www.astrophys-space-sci-trans.net/2/19/2006/
© Author(s) 2006. This work is licensed
under a Creative Commons License.


Heating of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere

S. V. Chalov1, D. B. Alexashov1, and H.-J. Fahr2
1Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Vernadskogo 101-1, 119526 Moscow, Russia
2Institute for Astrophysics and Extraterrestrial Research of the University of Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany

Abstract. Small-scale Alfvènic turbulence in the outer heliosphere is mainly determined by a source which is connected with the instability of the initially highly anisotropic velocity distribution of interstellar pick-up protons. The main portion of the generated turbulent energy is subsequently absorbed by the pick-up protons themselves due to the cyclotron-resonant interaction between waves and particles. A small fraction of this energy can be transferred to solar wind protons resulting in their heating. The heating is more efficient in the high-speed solar wind.

Full Article (PDF, 364 KB)

Citation: Chalov, S. V., Alexashov, D. B., and Fahr, H.-J.: Heating of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere, Astrophys. Space Sci. Trans., 2, 19-25, 2006.   Bibtex   EndNote   Reference Manager