On the Source of the solar wind

by

Uri Feldman

Artep Inc.

The source of an underground river

• Lakes

1

2

3

Underground River

The Source of an under ground river

•The solar wind composition is not always the same as the composition of the photosphere.

•In the Solar wind at times elements with first ionization potential (FIP) <10 eV are enriched.

Definition

FIP bias

coronal abundance/Photospheric abundance

In the fast SW elemental abundances are photospheric in nature , I.e. FIP bias~1

In the slow SW low-FIP elements are enriched by a factor of ~4. I.e., FIP bias~4

So where in the Solar Upper Atmosphere such conditions

exist?

The Sun at 106 K.

The Sun at 105 K

The Sun at 106 and 105 K

FIP-bias

Photosphere 1

105 K 1.5-2

106 K Coronal hole ~1

106 K Quiet Sun ~4

Elemental settling in the corona

1.00E+10

1.00E+11

1.00E+12

1.00E+13

1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5

Height (R)

Intensity (ph cm-2 s-1 sr-1)

Ne VIII

Mg X

Si XI

Si XII

Fe X

Fe XI

Fe XII

Atomic weights:

High-FIP Ne=20; Low-FIP Mg=24; Si=28; Low FIP Fe=56

Location of observations

-800

-600

-400

-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

East West coordinates (arcsec)

North south coordinates (arcsec)

Elemental settling in the western hemisphere

0.1

1

1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6

Height (R)

S XI/Fe XII Relative Intensity

450" N

450" S

150" N

150" S

750" N

750" S

Conclusions

1) The SW originates from ~106 K SUA plasmas

2) Slow SW originates in the quiet Sun corona close to the solar surface

3) Fast solar wind originates from the corona in coronal hole regions

C III at Sun Center

A Polar Region

An active region at different temperatures