Solar Wind Electric Fields in the Ion Cyclotron Frequency Range

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© 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
, , Citation P. J. Kellogg et al 2006 ApJ 645 704 DOI 10.1086/499265

0004-637X/645/1/704

Abstract

Measurements of fluctuations of electric fields in the frequency range from a fraction of 1 to 12.5 Hz are presented and corrected for the Lorentz transformation of magnetic fluctuations to give the electric fields in the plasma frame. The electric fields are large enough to provide the dominant force on the ions of the solar wind in the region near the ion cyclotron frequency of protons, larger than the force due to magnetic fluctuations. They provide sufficient velocity-space diffusion or heating to counteract conservation of magnetic moment in the expanding solar wind to maintain nearly isotropic velocity distributions.

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10.1086/499265