Observational Constraints on the Radial Evolution of O$^{6+}$ Temperature and Differential Flow in the Inner Heliosphere

TL;DR

This study analyzes O$^{6+}$ ion temperature and flow from 0.3 to 1 au, revealing decreasing drift and temperature with distance, and suggesting no significant heating at these distances, thus constraining solar wind ion acceleration theories.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive statistical analysis of O$^{6+}$ ion velocity and temperature evolution from close to the Sun to 1 au, using Solar Orbiter data.

Findings

O$^{6+}$ drift and temperature decrease with heliocentric distance.

O$^{6+}$ temperature follows an adiabatic profile, indicating minimal heating.

Alfvénic fluctuations cause temporary negative differential streaming.

Abstract

Over decades of solar wind observations, heavy ions have been observed to have a higher temperature and flow faster than protons in the solar corona and heliosphere. Remote observations have largely been limited to the low corona ($< 4R_{\odot}$), while in situ observations for heavy ions ($Z>2$) have only been sampled at 1 au and beyond. As a result, theories that address heavy ion heating and acceleration remain largely unconstrained. With the launch of Solar Orbiter, heavy ion kinetics can be probed closer to the Sun, as close as the orbit of Mercury ($65R_{\odot}$), to examine their radial behavior. Through a statistical analysis of O$^{6+}$, this work provides a comprehensive analysis of the velocity and temperature of O$^{6+}$ from 0.3 au to 1 au. The study finds that the O$^{6+}$ relative drift, normalized to the local Alfv\'en speed, and its temperature compared to protons, both decrease with distance from the Sun and show some speed dependence. The O$^{6+}$ temperature is well fit by a single temperature adiabatic profile across all wind speeds, suggesting there is no significant heating at these heliocentric distances. This is in contrast to what is observed for protons and He$^{2+}$. Alfv\'enic fluctuations, with full 180$^{\circ}$ field rotation, create momentary negative differential streaming where the speed of O$^{6+}$ trails the protons. The amount of negative differential streaming gradually increases at larger distances. These results provide critical constraints to the proposed mechanisms seeking to describe ion heating and acceleration in the solar wind.