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Observations of interplanetary energetic ion enhancements near magnetic sector boundaries
Author(s) -
Briggs Patrick R.,
Armstrong Thomas P.
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i001p00027
Subject(s) - solar wind , physics , ion , interplanetary spaceflight , interplanetary medium , interplanetary magnetic field , solar flare , chromosphere , flare , flux (metallurgy) , astrophysics , plasma , atomic physics , atmospheric sciences , magnetic field , geophysics , computational physics , nuclear physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
We have examined all energetic medium nuclei (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) flux increases observed by the satellites IMP 7 and IMP 8 at 1 AU during Bartels rotations 1906‐1974. After removing flare‐related increases, the remaining 145 "events" were compared to interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind parameters. We have discovered a class of flux enhancements in which the ion increases occur close to the onset of magnetic sector boundary crossings. We interpret this observation as a facilitated access to 1 AU of energetic ions from the corona or chromosphere via the magnetic sector structure. It appears that this access is more significant for medium than for lighter nuclei, suggesting a possible charge‐ or rigidity‐dependent transport mechanism.