Observational Evidence of Pitch Angle Isotropization by IMF Waves

2004/02/04 by L. Saul, E. Moebius, C. W. Smith +4
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1029/2003gl019014.

published as Geophys.Res.Lett. 31 (2004) L05811 · 7 pages, 3 figures

arxiv created 2004/02/04 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

A statistical analysis of interstellar He+ pickup ion measurements from SOHO/CTOF combined with magnetic field data from WIND/MFI enable quantitative study of wave-particle interactions in the inner heliosphere for the first time. Magnetic field vector measurements with a time resolu-tion of 3 seconds are used to determine power spectrum char-acteristics of interplanetary magnetic turbulence. These spec-tral characteristics are then compared in superposed epoch and correlation analyses with He+ fluxes and spectra. The observed pickup ion velocity distributions can be explained consistently as a consequence of pitch angle scattering of the interstellar pickup ions by Alfvenic fluctuations.

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