EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Mitchell & Roelof 1980
Mitchell, D.G. and Roelof, E.C. (1980). Thermal iron ions in high speed solar wind streams: Detection by the IMP 7/8 energetic particle experiments. Geophysical Research Letters 7: doi: 10.1029/GL007i009p00661. issn: 0094-8276.

The first measurements of the abundance of iron ions in high speed (>600 km s-1) solar wind streams have been made with the NOAA/JHU Energetic Particles Experiments (EPE) on IMP 7/8. The identification of iron ions is quantitatively established using 4 years of observations and heavy ion accelerator calibrations of detectors similar to those flown on the spacecraft. Preliminary estimates of the Fe/H ratio are within a factor of 2 of the adopted coronal abundance (5¿10-5), and there is some evidence that Fe/H may remain approximately constant within a given stream. In the peaks of fast streams (700<V<800 km s-1), about 50 iron ion counts are obtained every 20 s, offering the possibility of studying the Fe/H ratio with ~1 m time resolution in high speed streams throughout the decline of Solar Cycle 20 and the rise of Solar Cycle 21.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit