@article{VafinRiazantsevaPohl2019,
  author    = {Vafin, Sergei and Riazantseva, Maria and Pohl, Martin},
  title     = {Coulomb collisions as a candidate for temperature anisotropy constraints in the solar wind},
  series = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics ; Part 2, Letters},
  volume    = {871},
  journal   = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics ; Part 2, Letters},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.},
  address   = {Bristol},
  issn      = {2041-8205},
  doi       = {10.3847/2041-8213/aafb11},
  pages     = {6},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Many solar wind observations at 1 au indicate that the proton (as well as electron) temperature anisotropy is limited. The data distribution in the (A(a), beta(a),(parallel to))-plane have a rhombic-shaped form around beta(a),(parallel to) similar to 1. The boundaries of the temperature anisotropy at beta(a),(parallel to) > 1 can be well explained by the threshold conditions of the mirror (whistler) and oblique proton (electron) firehose instabilities in a bi-Maxwellian plasma, whereas the physical mechanism of the similar restriction at beta(a),(parallel to) < 1 is still under debate. One possible option is Coulomb collisions, which we revisit in the current work. We derive the relaxation rate nu(A)(aa) of the temperature anisotropy in a bi-Maxwellian plasma that we then study analytically and by observed proton data from WIND. We found that nu(A)(pp) increases toward small beta(p),(parallel to) < 1. We matched the data distribution in the (A(p), beta(p),(parallel to))-plane with the constant contour nu(A)(pp) = 2.8 . 10(-6) s(-1), corresponding to the minimum value for collisions to play a role. This contour fits rather well the left boundary of the rhombic-shaped data distribution in the (A(p), beta(p),(parallel to))-plane. Thus, Coulomb collisions are an interesting candidate for explaining the limitations of the temperature anisotropy in the solar wind with small beta(a),(parallel to) < 1 at 1 au.},
  language  = {en}
}