http://arxiv.org/abs/1808.06132
We find that element abundances in energetic ions accelerated by shock waves formed at corotating interaction regions (CIRs) mirror the abundances of the solar wind modified by a decreasing power-law dependence on the mass-to-charge ratio A/Q of the ions. This behavior is similar in character to the well-known power-law dependence on A/Q of abundances in large gradual solar energetic particles (SEP). The CIR ions reflect the pattern of A/Q, with Q values of the source plasma temperature or freezing-in temperature of 1.0 – 1.2 MK typical of the fast solar wind in this case. Thus the relative ion abundances in CIRs are of the form (A/Q)**a where a is nearly always negative and evidently decreases with distance from the shocks, which usually begin beyond 1 AU. For one unusual historic CIR event where a ~ 0, the reverse shock wave of the CIR seems to occur at 1 AU, and these abundances of the energetic ions become a direct proxy for the abundances of the fast solar wind.
D. Reames
Tue, 21 Aug 18
23/71
Comments: 19 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Solar Phys
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