High Resolution Spectrograms of Ion-Acoustic Waves in the Solar Wind.

Abstract

Ion-acoustic waves, similar to those detected by the helios spacecraft from 0.3 to 1.0 AU, have now been detected by the Voyager spacecraft in the solar wind out to heliocentric radial distances of 1.7 AU. High bit rate waveform measurements provide the first high resolution, frequency-time spectrograms of these waves. The Voyager spectrograms show that the ion-acoustic waves consist of narrow-band bursts which last for a few seconds or less. The center frequency of the bursts can fluctuate rapidly in frequency, usually in the range between the electron and ion plasma frequency f sub p(-) and f sub p(+). (These waves have been previously referred to as f sub p(+) < f < f sub p(-) noise.)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA054912

Entities

People

  • Donald A. Gurnett
  • F. L. Scarf
  • William S. Kurth

Organizations

  • University of Iowa

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Waves
  • Bow Shock
  • Contracts
  • Dispersion Relations
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electric Fields
  • Frequency
  • High Resolution
  • Interplanetary Space
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Military Research
  • Plasma Waves
  • Solar Wind
  • Space Systems
  • Spacecraft
  • Waveforms
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Solar Physics

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster