Interactions of Energetic Particles with the Solar Wind: A Theoretical Study

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This renewal grant will conduct theoretical studies of the interactions of energetic particles with the solar wind and solar corona. Broad-based studies will include interstellar pickup ions, galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, and shock-accelerated particles. The PI's goal is to understand the energetic particle structure of the heliosphere and fundamental processes that govern that structure. Specific research tasks are: (1) developing a transport theory for interstellar pickup ions based on the pitch-angle diffusion equation to predict the ion spatial distribution and anisotropy for large scattering mean free paths; (2) investigating the shock surfing mechanism at laminar and turbulent quasi-perpendicular shocks as the origin of energetic ions at cometary and interplanetary shocks and the solar wind termination shock; (3) studying the evolution of the solar wind helium distribution downstream of Earth's quasi-perpendicular bow shock; (4) exploring the consequences of an analytical treatment of cosmic ray transport at high energies; and (5) constructing an analytical theory of the acceleration of solar energetic electrons and ions in reconnecting current sheets in coronal loops for a realistic electromagnetic field configuration.***