Radio sounding of the solar wind acceleration region with spacecraft signals

Abstract

Data from coronal radio-sounding experiments carried out on various interplanetary spacecraft are used to derive the empirical radial dependence of solar wind velocity and density at heliocentric distances from 3 to 60 solar radii for heliolatitudes below 60° and for low solar activity. The radial dependencies of solar wind power and acceleration are derived from these results. Summaries of the radial behavior of characteristic parameters of the solar wind turbulence (e.g., the spectral index and the inner and outer turbulence scales), as well as the fractional density fluctuation, are also presented. These radio-sounding results provide a benchmark for models of the solar wind in its acceleration region.