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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 29, NO. 24, 2233, doi:10.1029/2002GL015652, 2002

Phase-steepened Alfvén waves, proton perpendicular energization and the creation of magnetic holes and magnetic decreases: The ponderomotive force

B. T. Tsurutani

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


B. Dasgupta

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


C. Galvan

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


M. Neugebauer

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA


G. S. Lakhina

Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai/Bombay, India


J. K. Arballo

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


D. Winterhalter

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


B. E. Goldstein

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA


B. Buti

Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India


Abstract

Solar wind protons detected within Magnetic Holes (MHs) and Magnetic Decreases (MDs) are found to be preferentially heated perpendicular to inline equation0. The MHs/MDs are associated with the phase-steepened edges of nonlinear Alfvén waves. The proton anisotropies can lead to the proton cyclotron and mirror mode plasma instabilities. We examine the Ponderomotive Force (PF), a phenomenon due to wave pressure gradients, and show that for this plasma regime and for phase-steepened Alfvén waves, the PF proton acceleration/energization will primarily be orthogonal to B0. It is suggested that accelerated ions create the MHs/MDs by a diamagnetic effect.

Published 28 December 2002.

Index Terms: 2134 Interplanetary Physics: Interplanetary magnetic fields; 2169 Interplanetary Physics: Sources of the solar wind; 2164 Interplanetary Physics: Solar wind plasma; 2109 Interplanetary Physics: Discontinuities.

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Citation: Tsurutani, B. T., B. Dasgupta, C. Galvan, M. Neugebauer, G. S. Lakhina, J. K. Arballo, D. Winterhalter, B. E. Goldstein, and B. Buti (2002), Phase-steepened Alfvén waves, proton perpendicular energization and the creation of magnetic holes and magnetic decreases: The ponderomotive force, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(24), 2233, doi:10.1029/2002GL015652.