Traceback of intermittent structures in the solar wind
Abstract
The intermittent structures identified in the solar wind (SW) are a key observable to study the nature of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in systems with low dissipation rate; and can be characterized by computing the degree of phase correlation of the magnetic field. Such indicator is; commonly; studied near the Earth using in situ observations; while the solar wind sources remain unknown. In this work; we analise in situ observations of magnetic field intensity from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft; located near 1 AU from the Sun; and synoptic charts provided by the Wilcox Obsevatory. We complement our study computing Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) models taking as boundary conditions synoptic maps from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). We identify one intermittent period by computing the phase coherence index. For these SW observations; we attempt to find the corresponding solar source identifying a particular pattern of the coronal magnetic field at the source surface; located at 2.5 at the time the SW would have left the Sun considering its speed at 1 AU to be constant. To ascertain that this magnetic pattern plays a significant role as source of SW intermittence; more examples should be analyzed.
- Publication:
-
Boletin de la Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia La Plata Argentina
- Pub Date:
- 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013BAAA...56..375N