Simulation of S-Web Corridor Dynamics

The S-Web (separatrix web) model for the source of slow solar wind is based on the uniqueness conjecture, which states that only one coronal hole can exist in a single-polarity region on the Sun (Antiochos et al. 2007). The apparent multiple coronal holes observed within single-polarity regions therefore must be connected by narrow corridors at scales smaller than the spatial resolution of current measurements of the photosphere. Magnetic field lines from the boundary of such a corridor map to the heliospheric current sheet, while field lines from the interior of the corridor map to an arc extending to high latitudes in the heliosphere (Antiochos et al. 2011). In this work, we simulate the dynamics of an S-Web corridor using the Adaptively Refined MHD Solver (ARMS), to examine the effects of magnetic reconnection along the corridor on the opening and closing of field lines at high latitudes in the heliosphere. The objective is to show that these dynamics support the S-Web model as an explanation for the source of slow solar wind. We will present results from our initial efforts to simulate open-field corridor dynamics, outline plans for further work, and discuss implications for understanding the slow solar wind.