Acceleration of the high speed solar wind in coronal holes

We outline a theory for the origin and acceleration of the fast solar wind as a consequence of network microflares releasing a spectrum of high freque ncy Alfven waves which heat (by cyclotron absorption) the corona close to t he Sun. The significant features of our model of the fast wind are that the acceleration is rapid with the sonic point at around two solar radii, the proton temperatures are high (similar to 5 million degrees) and the minor i ons are correspondingly hotter roughly in proportion to their mass. Moreove r we argue that since the energy flux needed to power the quiet corona in c losed field regions is about the same as that needed to drive the fast sola r wind, and also because at deeper levels (< 2 x 10(5) K) there is no great difference in the properties of supergranules and network in closed and op en field regions, the heating process (i.e., dissipation of high frequency waves) must be the same in both cases.