Probability distributions of the induced electric field of the solar wind

[1] The low-frequency induced electric field in the near-Earth interplanetary medium is investigated observationally. These electric field fluctuations are associated with magnetohydrodynamic-scale fluctuations of the magnetic field and plasma velocity. Results of the study, based upon hourly samples with variations computed relative to 4-day means, indicate that the electric field distribution is roughly exponential. More specifically, the electric field distribution is very nearly the one that is obtained from a quasi-normal turbulence model [Milano et al., 2002]. These results may be useful for particle scattering, acceleration, and turbulence.