Preferential acceleration of heavy ions from thermal velocities

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Abstract
The acceleration of ions from thermal velocities is analyzed to determine conditions under which heavy ions can be preferentially accelerated. Two accelerating mechanisms involving high-and low-frequency hydromagnetic waves respectively are considered. Preferential acceleration of heavy ions occurs for high-frequency waves if the frequency spectrum falls off faster than (frequency)−1. For the low-frequency waves heavy ions are less effectively accelerated than lighter ions. However, very heavy ions can be preferentially accelerated, the abundances of the very heavy ions being enhanced by a factor Ai over the thermal abundances. Acceleration of ions in the envelope of the Crab nebula is considered as an example.

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