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Parameters of solar wind electron heat‐flux pitch‐angle distributions and IMF topologies
Author(s) -
Feuerstein W. M.,
Larson D. E.,
Luhmann J. G.,
Lin R. P.,
Kahler S. W.,
Crooker N. U.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2004gl020529
Subject(s) - solar wind , physics , electron , interplanetary magnetic field , computational physics , magnetic field , population , interplanetary spaceflight , demography , quantum mechanics , sociology
Pitch‐angle distributions (PADs) of solar wind heat‐flux (HF) electrons are used as a proxy for interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) topology. Unidirectional PADs yield IMF solar polarities, and bidirectional electron (BDE) PADs are interpreted as signatures of closed fields. A general perception exists that the directionalities are easily distinguished, clearly defining open and closed IMFs. We quantify PADs with the ratios of the HF parallel and anti‐parallel to the IMF to that perpendicular to the IMF plotting these parameters against each other in a directionality distribution for six years of electron data from the 3DP experiment on the Wind satellite. This bimodal plot clearly shows the unidirectional populations, but shows no evidence for a separate bidirectional HF population. A similar plot of magnetic clouds is double‐banded with no evidence of a bifurcation between bidirectional and unidirectional regimes. In conclusion, this basic parameterization shows no distinction between open and closed field topologies.