scholarly journals Alfvénic turbulence in solar wind originating near coronal hole boundaries: heavy-ion effects?

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 785-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Bavassano ◽  
N. A. Schwadron ◽  
E. Pietropaolo ◽  
R. Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Coronal Hole ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Parker Spiral ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Ion Effects ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Slow Wind

Abstract. The mid-latitude phases of the Ulysses mission offer an excellent opportunity to investigate the solar wind originating near the coronal hole boundaries. Here we report on Alfvénic turbulence features, revealing a relevant presence of in-situ generated fluctuations, observed during the wind rarefaction phase that charaterizes the transition from fast to slow wind. Heavy-ion composition and magnetic field measurements indicate a strict time correspondence of the locally generated fluctuations with 1) the crossing of the interface between fast and slow wind and 2) the presence of strongly underwound magnetic field lines (with respect to the Parker spiral). Recent studies suggest that such underwound magnetic configurations correspond to fast wind magnetic lines that, due to footpoint motions at the Sun, have their inner leg transferred to slow wind and are stretched out by the velocity gradient. If this is a valid scenario, the existence of a magnetic connection across the fast-slow wind interface is a condition that, given the different state of the two kinds of wind, may favour the development of processes acting as local sources of turbulence. We suggest that heavy-ion effects could be responsible of the observed turbulence features.

scholarly journals Photospheric magnetic field of an eroded-by-solar-wind coronal mass ejection

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S327) ◽  
pp. 67-70
Author(s):  
J. Palacios ◽  
C. Cid ◽  
E. Saiz ◽  
A. Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Coronal Mass Ejection ◽  
Coronal Hole ◽  
Interplanetary Medium ◽  
Flux Rope ◽  
Magnetic Characteristics ◽  
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Mass Ejection

AbstractWe have investigated the case of a coronal mass ejection that was eroded by the fast wind of a coronal hole in the interplanetary medium. When a solar ejection takes place close to a coronal hole, the flux rope magnetic topology of the coronal mass ejection (CME) may become misshapen at 1 AU as a result of the interaction. Detailed analysis of this event reveals erosion of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) magnetic field. In this communication, we study the photospheric magnetic roots of the coronal hole and the coronal mass ejection area with HMI/SDO magnetograms to define their magnetic characteristics.

scholarly journals Azimuthal magnetic fields in Saturn’s magnetosphere: effects associated with plasma sub-corotation and the magnetopause-tail current system

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1709-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Bunce ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
J. A. Wild
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Current System ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Local Times ◽  
Dynamical Process ◽  
Tail Current ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Inner Region

Abstract. We calculate the azimuthal magnetic fields expected to be present in Saturn’s magnetosphere associated with two physical effects, and compare them with the fields observed during the flybys of the two Voyager spacecraft. The first effect is associated with the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling currents which result from the sub-corotation of the magnetospheric plasma. This is calculated from empirical models of the plasma flow and magnetic field based on Voyager data, with the effective Pedersen conductivity of Saturn’s ionosphere being treated as an essentially free parameter. This mechanism results in a ‘lagging’ field configuration at all local times. The second effect is due to the day-night asymmetric confinement of the magnetosphere by the solar wind (i.e. the magnetopause and tail current system), which we have estimated empirically by scaling a model of the Earth’s magnetosphere to Saturn. This effect produces ‘leading’ fields in the dusk magnetosphere, and ‘lagging’ fields at dawn. Our results show that the azimuthal fields observed in the inner regions can be reasonably well accounted for by plasma sub-corotation, given a value of the effective ionospheric Pedersen conductivity of ~ 1–2 mho. This statement applies to field lines mapping to the equator within ~ 8 RS (1 RS is taken to be 60 330 km) of the planet on the dayside inbound passes, where the plasma distribution is dominated by a thin equatorial heavy-ion plasma sheet, and to field lines mapping to the equator within ~ 15 RS on the dawn side outbound passes. The contributions of the magnetopause-tail currents are estimated to be much smaller than the observed fields in these regions. If, however, we assume that the azimuthal fields observed in these regions are not due to sub-corotation but to some other process, then the above effective conductivities define an upper limit, such that values above ~ 2 mho can definitely be ruled out. Outside of this inner region the spacecraft observed both ‘lagging’ and ‘leading’ fields in the post-noon dayside magnetosphere during the inbound passes, with ‘leading’ fields being observed both adjacent to the magnetopause and in the ring current region, and ‘lagging’ fields being observed between. The observed ‘lagging’ fields are consistent in magnitude with the sub-corotation effect with an effective ionospheric conductivity of ~ 1–2 mho, while the ‘leading’ fields are considerably larger than those estimated for the magnetopause-tail currents, and appear to be indicative of the presence of another dynamical process. No ‘leading’ fields were observed outside the inner region on the dawn side outbound passes, with the azimuthal fields first falling below those expected for sub-corotation, before increasing, to exceed these values at radial distances beyond ~ 15–20 RS , where the effect of the magnetopause-tail currents becomes significant. As a by-product, our investigation also indicates that modification and scaling of terrestrial magnetic field models may represent a useful approach to modelling the three-dimensional magnetic field at Saturn.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (current systems; magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions; solar wind-magnetosphere interactions)

scholarly journals The low-frequency break observed in the slow solar wind magnetic spectra

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A96 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bruno ◽  
D. Telloni ◽  
L. Sorriso-Valvo ◽  
R. Marino ◽  
R. De Marco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Slow Solar Wind ◽  
Velocity Spectrum ◽  
Plasma Parameters ◽  
Solar Wind Magnetic Field ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Slow Wind ◽  
First Time

Fluctuations of solar wind magnetic field and plasma parameters exhibit a typical turbulence power spectrum with a spectral index ranging between ∼5/3 and ∼3/2. In particular, at 1 AU, the magnetic field spectrum, observed within fast corotating streams, also shows a clear steepening for frequencies higher than the typical proton scales, of the order of ∼3 × 10−1 Hz, and a flattening towards 1/f at frequencies lower than ∼10−3 Hz. However, the current literature reports observations of the low-frequency break only for fast streams. Slow streams, as observed to date, have not shown a clear break, and this has commonly been attributed to slow wind intervals not being long enough. Actually, because of the longer transit time from the Sun, slow wind turbulence would be older and the frequency break would be shifted to lower frequencies with respect to fast wind. Based on this hypothesis, we performed a careful search for long-lasting slow wind intervals throughout 12 years of Wind satellite measurements. Our search, based on stringent requirements not only on wind speed but also on the level of magnetic compressibility and Alfvénicity of the turbulent fluctuations, yielded 48 slow wind streams lasting longer than 7 days. This result allowed us to extend our study to frequencies sufficiently low and, for the first time in the literature, we are able to show that the 1/f magnetic spectral scaling is also present in the slow solar wind, provided the interval is long enough. However, this is not the case for the slow wind velocity spectrum, which keeps the typical Kolmogorov scaling throughout the analysed frequency range. After ruling out the possible role of compressibility and Alfvénicity for the 1/f scaling, a possible explanation in terms of magnetic amplitude saturation, as recently proposed in the literature, is suggested.

scholarly journals Evidence for Plasma Heating at Thin Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

2022 ◽  
Vol 924 (2) ◽  
pp. L22
Author(s):  
Zilu Zhou ◽  
Xiaojun Xu ◽  
Pingbing Zuo ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Qi Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Plasma Heating ◽  
Magnetic Field Direction ◽  
Current Sheets ◽  
Proton Temperature ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Wind Spacecraft ◽  
Slow Wind ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract Plasma heating at thin current sheets in the solar wind is examined using magnetic field and plasma data obtained by the WIND spacecraft in the past 17 years from 2004 to 2019. In this study, a thin current sheet is defined by an abrupt rotation (larger than 45°) of the magnetic field direction in 3 s. A total of 57,814 current sheets have been identified, among which 25,018 current sheets are located in the slow wind and 19,842 current sheets are located in the fast wind. Significant plasma heating is found at current sheets in both slow and fast wind. Proton temperature increases more significantly at current sheets in the fast wind than in the slow wind, while the enhancement in electron temperature is less remarkable at current sheets in the fast wind. The results reveal that plasma heating commonly exists at thin current sheets in the solar wind regardless of the wind speed, but the underlying heating mechanisms might be different.

Selected solar wind parameters at 1 AU through two solar activity cycles

1994 ◽  
Vol 12 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bruno ◽  
U. Villante ◽  
A. Stecca
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Field Intensity ◽  
Rotation Period ◽  
Slow Solar Wind ◽  
Separate Analysis ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Activity Cycles ◽  
Solar Wind Parameters ◽  
Slow Wind

Abstract. In situ measurements of the solar wind largely cover more than two solar magnetic activity cycles, namely 20 and 21. This is a very appealing opportunity to study the influence of the activity cycle on the behaviour of the solar wind parameters. As a matter of fact, many authors so far have studied this topic comparing the long-term magnetic field and plasma averages. However, when the average values are evaluated on a data sample whose duration is comparable with (or even longer than) the solar rotation period we lose information about the contribution due to the fast and the slow solar wind components. Thus, discriminating in velocity plays a key role in understanding solar cycle effects on the solar wind. Based on these considerations, we performed a separate analysis for fast and slow wind, respectively. In particular, we found that: (a) fast wind carries a slightly larger momentum flux density at 1 AU, probably due to dynamic stream-stream interaction; (b) proton number density in slow wind is more cycle dependent than in fast wind and decreases remarkably across solar maximum; (c) fast wind generally carries a magnetic field intensity stronger than that carried by the slow wind; (d) we found no evidence for a positive correlation between velocity and field intensity as predicted by some theories of solar wind acceleration; (e) our results would support an approximately constant divergence of field lines associated with corotating high-velocity streams.

scholarly journals Solar-Wind Structure

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew J. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Interstellar Medium ◽  
Solar Atmosphere ◽  
Solar Surface ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Archimedean Spiral ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Slow Wind

The hot solar atmosphere continually expands out into space to form the solar wind, which drags with it the Sun’s magnetic field. This creates a cavity in the interstellar medium, extending far past the outer planets, within which the solar magnetic-field dominates. While the physical mechanisms by which the solar atmosphere is heated are still debated, the resulting solar wind can be readily understood in terms of the pressure difference between the hot, dense solar atmosphere and the cold, tenuous interstellar medium. This results in an accelerating solar-wind profile which becomes supersonic long before it reaches Earth orbit. The large-scale structure of the magnetic field carried by the solar wind is that of an Archimedean spiral, owing to the radial solar-wind flow away from the Sun and the rotation of the magnetic footpoints with the solar surface. Within this relatively simple picture, however, is a range of substructure, on all observable time and spatial scales. Solar-wind flows are largely bimodal in character. “Fast” wind comes from open magnetic-field regions, which have a single connection to the solar surface. “Slow” wind, on the other hand, appears to come from the vicinity of closed magnetic field regions, which have both ends connected to the Sun. Interaction of fast and slow wind leads to patterns of solar-wind compression and expansion which sweep past Earth. Within this relatively stable structure of flows, huge episodic eruptions of solar material further perturb conditions. At the smaller scales, turbulent eddies create unpredictable variations in solar-wind conditions. These solar-wind structures are of great interest as they give rise to space weather that can adversely affect space- and ground-based technologies, as well as pose a threat to humans in space.

scholarly journals A porcupine Sun? Implications for the solar wind and Earth

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S286) ◽  
pp. 210-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Gibson ◽  
Liang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Coronal Magnetic Field ◽  
Heliospheric Current Sheet ◽  
Magnetic Structures ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Global Configuration ◽  
Slow Wind ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe recent minimum was unusually long, and it was not just the case of the “usual story” slowed down. The coronal magnetic field never became completely dipolar as in recent Space Age minima, but rather gradually evolved into an (essentially axisymmetric) global configuration possessing mixed open and closed magnetic structures at many latitudes. In the process, the impact of the solar wind at the Earth went from resembling that from a sequence of rotating “fire-hoses” to what might be expected from a weak, omnidirectional “lawn-sprinkler”. The previous (1996) solar minimum was a more classic dipolar configuration, and was characterized by slow wind of hot origin localized to the heliospheric current sheet, and fast wind of cold origin emitted from polar holes, but filling most of the heliosphere. In contrast, the more recent minimum solar wind possessed a broad range of speeds and source temperatures (although cooler overall than the prior minimum). We discuss possible connections between these observations and the near-radial expansion and small spatial scales characteristic of the recent minimum's porcupine-like magnetic field.

scholarly journals The origin of slow Alfvénic solar wind at solar minimum

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Stansby ◽  
L Matteini ◽  
T S Horbury ◽  
D Perrone ◽  
R D’Amicis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Alpha Particle ◽  
Coronal Holes ◽  
Slow Solar Wind ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Fast Solar Wind ◽  
Lower Corona ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Slow Wind

ABSTRACT Although the origins of slow solar wind are unclear, there is increasing evidence that at least some of it is released in a steady state on overexpanded coronal hole magnetic field lines. This type of slow wind has similar properties to the fast solar wind, including strongly Alfvénic fluctuations. In this study, a combination of proton, alpha particle, and electron measurements are used to investigate the kinetic properties of a single interval of slow Alfvénic wind at 0.35 au. It is shown that this slow Alfvénic interval is characterized by high alpha particle abundances, pronounced alpha–proton differential streaming, strong proton beams, and large alpha-to-proton temperature ratios. These are all features observed consistently in the fast solar wind, adding evidence that at least some Alfvénic slow solar wind also originates in coronal holes. Observed differences between speed, mass flux, and electron temperature between slow Alfvénic and fast winds are explained by differing magnetic field geometry in the lower corona.

scholarly journals Observations and Models of the Fast and Slow Solar Wind

2001 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 447-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Marsch
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Coronal Holes ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Slow Solar Wind ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Variable Nature ◽  
Fast Wind ◽  
Essential Properties ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Slow Wind

There are two major types of solar wind. The steady fast wind originating on open magnetic field lines in coronal holes, and the unsteady slow wind coming from the bulk or boundary layer of streamers, which are mostly magnetically closed but may open up temporarily. Many observations of the solar wind have in the past been made in situ and remotely. Key empirical constraints, which are imposed on the models by the Helios (near-Sun, in-ecliptic) and Ulysses (high-latitude) interplanetary measurements and by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) plasma diagnostics, are discussed with respect to the fluid and kinetic properties of the wind. The majority of the models is concerned with the fast wind, essential properties of which can be reproduced by 1-D multi-fluid models involving broad-band waves. Owing to its time-variable nature, no robust understanding of the slow wind exists. Selected results from modelling and observations are discussed.

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