REPRESENTATIVE MODELS OF THE OBSERVED SOLAR WIND.
Abstract
Observed values of the physical parameters that define the solar wind are available from radar and spectral measurements of the lower corona and from space vehicle measurements of the interplanetary plasma. The problem is to reconcile these observations with the theory of the solar wind and to construct models which are consistent with both. Parker's hydrodynamical equations are solved by numerical methods with observed values used as constraints. With single-index polytropic models, about 10% of the temperature-velocity pairs observed by Mariner II can be matched with density-velocity pairs in the lower corona observed by radar. The other 90% require dualindex models: a low index in the lower corona to accelerate the solar plasma rapidly to supercritical velocities, and a high index farther out to reduce temperatures to the values observed. Conclusions derived from the analysis include the following: the observed solar wind can be represented by dual-index polytropic models; the solar plasma in the plane of the ecliptic is diverging more rapidly than it would for precisely radial flow; most of the plasma emanates from low heliographic latitudes; the solar plasma corrotates with the Sun for several solar radii beyond the photosphere. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0620407
Entities
People
- Charles Keller Anderson
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder