ON SPECTRAL BREAKS IN THE POWER SPECTRA OF MAGNETIC FLUCTUATIONS IN FAST SOLAR WIND BETWEEN 0.3 AND 0.9 AU

We analyze the radial variation of the power spectra of the magnetic field from 0.3 to about 0.9 AU, using Helios 2 spacecraft measurements in the fast solar wind. The time resolution of the magnetic field data allows us to study the power spectra up to 2 Hz. Generally, the corresponding spectral break frequency f(b) and the Doppler-shifted frequencies, which are related to the proton gyroradius and inertial scales, are close to a frequency f of about 0.5 Hz at a distance of 1 AU from the Sun. However, studying the radial evolution of the power spectra offers us the possibility to distinguish between those scales. Recent Ulysses observations show that, while the proton scales vary, f(b) stays nearly constant with the heliocentric distance R. In our study we confirm that f(b) varies within a small interval of [0.2, 0.4] Hz only, as R varies from 0.3 to 0.9 AU. Moreover, if we assume parallel propagating fluctuations (with respect to the solar wind flow or background magnetic field), we can show that none of the proton scales are coincident with the break scale. If, however, we take into account the two-dimensional nature of the turbulent fluctuations, then we can show that the spatial scale corresponding to f(b)(R) does follow the proton inertial scale, lambda(p)(R), but not the proton gyroradius scale, rho(p)(R), as a function of heliocentric distance. These observations indicate that the spectral break at the proton inertial scale might be related to the Hall effect, or be controlled by the ion-cyclotron damping of obliquely propagating fluctuations or the formation of current sheets scaling like lambda(p), which could be responsible for ion heating through magnetic reconnection.