Measurement of the Dissipation Range Spectrum of Magnetic Fluctuations in the Solar Wind with Applications to the Diffusion of Cosmic Rays

C. W. Smith, W. H. Matthaeus and N. F. Ness

Proceedings of the 21st International Cosmic Ray Conference (Adelaide), 5, 280-283 (1990)

Abstract:

A technique has been developed for the analysis of interplanetary magnetic field spectra that is based upon the structure function of the turbulence. This technique demonstrates a greater degree of accuracy when dealing with data containing spectral dropouts, trends, jumps, bad data, or other forms of rapidly changing spectral slope than does the standard Blackman-Tukey and FFT analyses. We have used this technique to look at high resolution magnetic field data from the Voyager 1 and 2 and Mariner 10 spacecraft. We report evidence of resonant dissipation with the ambient proton population that has implications for the diffusion of energetic charged particles in a turbulent magnetic field.