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Ion‐cyclotron wave dissipation channel for Alfvén waves
Author(s) -
Kaghashvili Edisher Kh.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900343
Subject(s) - physics , dissipation , solar wind , computational physics , cyclotron , wave propagation , alfvén wave , ion , cyclotron resonance , atomic physics , magnetohydrodynamics , optics , plasma , nuclear physics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
The effect of inhomogeneous velocity flow on Alfvén wave dynamics in the solar wind is investigated. Unlike existing studies in this field that model energy deposition from high‐frequency waves to solar wind particles, we consider here the possibility of obtaining high‐frequency waves (in this case fast magnetosonic waves) from the ordinary Alfvén wave spectrum. It is shown that the spatial inhomogeneity of the velocity field can lead to dissipation of Alfvén waves through ion‐cyclotron resonance. Recent Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS/SOHO) observations indicate that preferential heating and acceleration of heavy ions occurs close to the Sun. The process described here provides a possible interpretation of such solar wind observations.