On the Passive Nature of Proton Temperature in Solar Wind Turbulence

Abstract

In the framework of space plasma physics the solar wind is commonly recognized as an example of turbulent medium. Although turbulence studies mainly focalize on the features of velocity field (and magnetic field for plasma media), another field of investigation deals with the properties of scalar quantities (such as the concentrations of tracers, the temperature, etc.) passively advected in turbulent media. In this brief work, we present a preliminary study of the scaling and intermittent features of the solar wind proton temperature, considered for its possible passive scalar nature, in a long-lasting period of slow solar wind as observed by the ULYSSES mission. In detail, the results on the scaling and intermittent features of the solar wind proton temperature are compared and discussed in terms of a turbulent advected passive scalar quantity.