A plasmoid model for the solar wind

✍ Scribed by Teruo Tamano

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 714 KB
• Volume: 134
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0038-0938
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00148747

✦ Synopsis

A model describing magnetized plasmoids as a possible origin of the solar wind is discussed. The magnetized plasmoids are assumed to be created and accelerated to a very high speed through reconnection processes from small-scale magnetic loops. Afterward, the plasmoids are considered to be nearly in a relaxed state under magnetic helicity conservation and to expand freely and linearly. Characteristics of such plasmoids with finite/~ are examined. The results show remarkable agreement between the model predictions and spacecraft observations including temperature characteristics such as the dependence on the heliocentric distance and ion mass. The validity of the assumptions and the applicability of the model are also discussed.