Diagnostics of the Solar Wind in its Formation Region and Interstellar Interface

• Applicants: Dr. Michael Keith Bird; Privatdozent Dr. Martin Pätzold
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2000 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5258976

• Final Report Year: 2010

Final Report Abstract

The DFG/RFBR supported cooperation “Solar Wind Formation” started in 1997 and has been continued up to the present. Activities within the cooperative project progressed remarkably during the most recent grant tenure with additional radio sounding data in the solar corona from Mars Express, Venus Express and Rosetta and unique energetic neutral particle data on the heliospheric interface from the Ibex mission. The investigation has focused on empirical verification of the models for the spectrum of turbulence and the largescale structure of the inner heliosphere. Particular attention was also given to the interpretation of radio-sounding signatures of individual coronal mass ejection events. One unexpected result was finding a quasi-periodic component (QPC) in the 2004 Mars Express frequency scintillation measurements. The key to this discovery was to preform the spectral analysis on shorter data intervals (”snapshots”), which revealed the ephemeral spectral peaks at characteristic frequencies in the range 4–8 mHz. These peaks are presumably eroded and averaged out of the analysis over longer time intervals. Re-analysis of previous radio-sounding data recorded with the Ulysses and Galileo spacecraft has since verified this presumption. A final topic involved theoretical studies of the turbulence spectrum and its correlation with high-energy ion spectra in and around the heliospheric interface to the local interstellar medium. Beyond the scientific aspects of the joint project, the cooperation has generated a broad exchange of ideas and concepts about nature and life at many levels that would have otherwise never been experienced. The many years of successful endeavor have been instrumental in establishing a trusted friendship between us and our Russian colleagues.

Publications

• Coronal radio-sounding detection of a CME during the 1997 Galileo solar conjunction. Adv. Space Res. 42(1), 110-116, 2008
  Efimov, A.I., Rudash, V.K., Samoznaev, L.N., Bird, M.K., Chashei, I.V., Plettemeier, D.
  
• “Injection into the heliospheric keV ion regime from the high energy side and induced ion power laws”. 2nd International Heliophysical Year Conference, International Space Science Institute, Bern, 10.–13.11.2008
  H.J. Fahr
  
• “Turbulence in the inner heliosphere inferred from radio scintillation observations”. 2nd International Heliophysical Year Conference, International Space Science Institute, Bern, 10.–13.11.2008
  M.K. Bird et al.
  
• Injection to the pick-up ion regime from high energies and induced ion power-laws. Astron. Astrophys. 505, 329-337, 2009
  Fahr, H.J., Chashei, I.V., and Verscharen, D.
  
• “Coronal radio sounding with MEX, VEX and Rosetta”. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, 14.–18.12.2009
  M.K. Bird et al.
  
• “Coronal radio-sounding experiments with Mars Express: scintillation spectra during low solar activity”. 12th International Solar Wind Conference, St. Malo, Frankreich, 21.–26.06.2009
  I.V. Chashei (für A.I. Efimov et al.)
  
• “Extended power laws for heliospheric keV ions due to injection from the ACR-ion population”. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, 19.–24.04.2009
  H.J. Fahr et al.
  
• “Quasi periodic fluctuations detected in Mars Express coronal radio-sounding observations”. 12th International Solar Wind Conference, St. Malo, Frankreich, 21.–26.06.2009
  I.V. Chashei (für A.I. Efimov et al.)
  
• “Radio sounding of the solar corona with Mars Express”. International AOGS Conference, Singapore, 11.–15.08.2009
  M. Pätzold (für M. Hahn et al.)
  
• “Radiosondierung der Sonnenkorona”. Frühjahrstagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Extraterrestrische Physik, Greifswald, 30.03.–03.04.2009
  M. Hahn et al.
  
• “The multifluid character of the solar wind termination shock”. 12th International Solar Wind Conference, St. Malo, Frankreich, 21.–26.06.2009
  H.J. Fahr et al.
  
• Quasi-periodic fluctuations detected in Mars Express coronal radio sounding observations. In: Solar Wind 12 [AIP Conf. Proc. 1216], M. Maksimovic et al. (eds.), 90-93, 2010
  Efimov, A.I., Lukanina, L.A., Samoznaev, L.N., Rudash, V.K., Chashei, I.V., Bird, M.K., Pätzold, M., Tellmann, S.
  
• “Coronal radio sounding with MEX, VEX and Rosetta”. Kolloquium at PRAO, Puschino, Rußland, 16.06.2010
  M.K. Bird
  
• “Coronal sounding with three ESA spacecraft during solar conjunction: Radial dependence of radio signal fluctuation spectra”. 38th International COSPAR Symposium, Bremen, 18.–25.07.2010
  M.K. Bird (für A.I. Efimov et al.)
  
• “KeV-ENAs detectable by IBEX originating from regions inside the solar wind termination shock”. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, 02.–07.05.2010
  H.J. Fahr
  
• “Quasi-periodic frequency fluctuations observed during coronal radio-sounding experiments 1991-2009”. 38th International COSPAR Symposium, Bremen, 18.–25.07.2010
  M.K. Bird (für A.I. Efimov et al.)
  
• “Radio sounding of the solar corona with Mars Express, Venus Express and Rosetta”. 38th International COSPAR Symposium, Bremen, 18.–25.07.2010
  M. Hahn et al.
  
• “The multi-fluid description of the termination shock under variable magnetic tilt angles”. 38th International COSPAR Symposium, Bremen, 18.–25.07.2010
  H.J. Fahr
  
• “The writing on the cosmic wall: Is there a straightforward explanation of the cosmic microwave background?”. Kolloquium at PRAO, Puschino, Rußland, 16.06.2010
  H.J. Fahr