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Magnetic topology of coronal mass ejections based on ISEE-3 observations of bidirectional electron fluxes at 1 AU [electronic resource].

Published
Washington, D.C. : United States. Dept. of Defense, 1991.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description
Pages: (7 pages) : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators
Los Alamos National Laboratory, United States. Department of Defense, United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information
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Summary
The solar wind electron heat flux is carried primarily by superthermal halo'' electrons with energies at 1 AU of ∼80 eV and greater. These halo electrons typically are beamed antisunward along the IMF, indicating effective magnetic connection to the Sun only in one direction. However, ISEE-3 electron observations at 1 AU show that counterstreaming halo beams, suggesting closed magnetic structures, prevail within CMEs. These structures might be magnetic tongues,'' tied to the Sun at both ends, magnetically detached plasmoids, or perhaps complex flux rope structures. We present the results of analysis of ISEE-3 electron observations within 39 CMEs. Parameters analyzed include: the asymmetry between the counterstreaming beams, control by the IMF orientation, and the variation of the electron distributions as a particular CME convects past the spacecraft. We find that some CMEs contain nearly symmetric electron beams, while others are strongly asymmetric, and that beam propagating most nearly antisunward is generally dominant. The more nearly radial the IMF the greater is the symmetry between outward and inward beams. Trends observed as CMEs propagate past the spacecraft probably result primarily from the compression of the leading edge. We present examples of a previously unreported strahl-on-strahl'' distribution, suggesting continued magnetic connection to the corona, in which a narrow antisunward beam is superimposed on a broader beam. Preliminary results show that such spectra are present in a substantial fraction of the observed CMEs. Taken as a whole, our results appear to favor a tongue or flux rope scenario rather than a detached plasmoid.
Report Numbers
E 1.99:la-ur-91-2945
E 1.99: conf-9109254--2
conf-9109254--2
la-ur-91-2945
Subject(s)
Other Subject(s)
Note
Published through SciTech Connect.
01/01/1991.
"la-ur-91-2945"
" conf-9109254--2"
"DE92000250"
Solar connection with transient interplanetary processes (SOLTIP), Castle Liblice (Czechoslovakia), 30 Sep - 5 Oct 1991.
Phillips, J.L.; McComas, D.J.; Bame, S.J.; Gosling, J.T.; Feldman, W.C.
Funding Information
W-7405-ENG-36
View MARC record | catkey: 13827249