Energetic Particles

The atoms and molecules of a gas are in constant motion, colliding rapidly and filling all available space. The hotter the gas, the faster the atoms move, and the more energy each holds. In a plasma, the free ions and electrons behave the same way, though they are often much more energetic and move at a large fraction of the speed of light (300,000 km/ sec or 186,000 mi/sec). Researchers believe high-energy particles in the solar wind are not merely heated, but actually accelerated by shock waves in front of CMEs and by electric and magnetic effects in flares.