  Solar energetic particle (SEP) events have been observed by the Parker Solar
Probe (PSP) spacecraft since its launch in 2018. These events include sources
from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Onboard PSP is the
IS\(\odot\)IS instrument suite measuring ions over energies from ~ 20
keV/nucleon to 200 MeV/nucleon and electrons from ~ 20 keV to 6 MeV. Previous
studies sought to group CME characteristics based on their plasma conditions
and arrived at general descriptions with large statistical errors, leaving open
questions on how to properly group CMEs based solely on their plasma
conditions. To help resolve these open questions, plasma properties of CMEs
have been examined in relation to SEPs. Here we reexamine one plasma property,
the solar wind proton temperature, and compare it to the proton SEP intensity
in a region immediately downstream of a CME-driven shock for seven CMEs
observed at radial distances within 1 au. We find a statistically strong
correlation between proton SEP intensity and bulk proton temperature,
indicating a clear relationship between SEPs and the conditions in the solar
wind. Furthermore, we propose that an indirect coupling of SEP intensity to the
level of turbulence and the amount of energy dissipation that results is mainly
responsible for the observed correlation between SEP intensity and proton
temperature. These results are key to understanding the interaction of SEPs
with the bulk solar wind in CME-driven shocks and will improve our ability to
model the interplay of shock evolution and particle acceleration.
