HR: 16:20h
AN: SM44A-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Alfv\'en waves in the solar corona, the solar wind, and the magnetosphere
AU: * Ofman, L
EM: leon.ofman@gsfc,nasa.gov
AF: Catholic University of America, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Code 682, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: Observations and theoretical models show that Alfv\'en waves play an important role in many physical processes taking place in the plasma of the "local cosmos." For example, Alfv‚n waves are still the major candidates for the acceleration and heating of the fast solar wind, since they were proposed nearly 4 decades ago. Recently, MHD waves were observed in coronal loops in the EUV with the TRACE satellite. The SOHO, and TRACE instrument provide evidence for slow magnetosonic waves in coronal plumes. In-situ Helios and Ulysses spacecraft find ample evidence for the presence of propagating Alfv\'en waves in the solar wind. The CLUSTER mission provides for the first time multi-point view of the magnetospheric and solar wind plasma environment, and in particular high cadence magnetic field measurements with the Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM), that enables to study the properties of Alfv\'en waves in various parts of the magnetosphere simultaneously. I will discuss the observations and modeling of Alfv\'en waves starting from the low corona (loops), continuing into the solar wind, the magnetosphere, and to the auroral ionosphere. I will present the results of MHD, multifluid, and hybrid models of low-frequency (MHD), as well as kinetic Alfv\'en waves in the plasma in various parts of the "local cosmos", and I will discuss the role Alfv‚n waves play in the energization of the plasma, and as a diagnostic tool of the plasma physical processes.
DE: 7509 Corona
DE: 7511 Coronal holes
DE: 7807 Charged particle motion and acceleration
DE: 7827 Kinetic and MHD theory
DE: 7839 Nonlinear phenomena
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting