Triangle for the entropic index q of non-extensive statistical mechanics observed by Voyager 1 in the distant heliosphere

Tsallis [Physica A 340 (2004) 1) identified a set of numbers, the q-triplet equivalent to {q(stat), q(sen), q(rel)}, for a system described by non-extensive statistical mechanics. The deviation of the q's from Unity is a measure of the departure from thermodynamic equilibrium. We present observations of the q-triplets derived from two sets of daily averages of the magnetic field strength B observed by Voyager 1 in the solar wind near 40 A.U. during 1989 and near 85 A.U. during 2002, respectively. The results for 1989 do not differ significantly from those for 2002. We find q(stat) = 1.75 +/- 0.06, q(stat) = -0.6 +/- 0.2, and q(rel) = 3.8 +/- 0.3. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.