Interplanetary magnetic field as a detector of turbulence in the inner heliosphere

Analysis of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) behavior at different scales may give a key for understanding of turbulence spatial evolution in the heliosphere. It has been known that the solar wind plasma becomes more and more turbulent with heliocentric distance. Recent multi-spacecraft investigations of the large-scale IMF [1] show unexpectedly fast lost of the regular sector structure of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. In the ecliptic plane, it seems to be broken at 3-4 AU, much closer to the Sun than the Parker spiral gets perpendicular to the sunward direction. At the same time, the high-latitude solar wind remains more structured at the same heliocentric distances [2]. This fact may bear evidence of radial increase of turbulence and intermittency in the solar wind due to magnetic reconnection. The magnetic reconnection recurrently occurs at the large-scale heliospheric current sheet (HCS) as well as at smaller-scale current sheets during the solar wind expansion [3]. As a result, a significant part of the heliosphere is filled with secondary current sheets as well as with waves and accelerated particles in some vicinity of the HCS. Under averaging, it looks as a radial increase of turbulence, especially in low latitudes. It also can be considered as one of the main causes of the break of the expected IMF radial dependence law [1, 2]. Results of the consequent multi-spacecraft analysis of plasma and magnetic filed turbulence characteristics at different heliocentric distances and heliolatitudes will be discussed. 1. O. Khabarova, V. Obridko, Puzzles of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field in the Inner Heliosphere, 2012, Astrophysical Journal, 761, 2, 82, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/761/2/82, http://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.6672v2.pdf 2. O.V. Khabarova, The interplanetary magnetic field: radial and latitudinal dependences, Astronomy Reports, 2013, 57, 11, http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1305/1305.1204.pdf 3. V. Zharkova, O. Khabarova, Particle Acceleration in the Reconnecting Heliospheric Current Sheet: Solar Wind Data Versus 3D PIC Simulations, Astrophysical Journal, 2012, V.752, 1, 35, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/752/1/35