Sensitivity of Solar Wind Mass Flux to Coronal Electron Temperature

Solar wind models predict that the mass flux carried away from the Sun in the solar wind should be extremely sensitive to the temperature in the corona. Using a range of in-situ and remote sensing measurements from Parker Solar Probe, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and Hinode/EIS, we have tested this hypothesis by measuring the coronal electron temperature and coronal mass flux in both coronal holes and active region outflows.

We find that a three-fold increase in coronal temperature from 0.7 MK to 2.2 MK results in a large increase in coronal mass flux by over a factor of 100. This is in qualitative agreement with current solar wind acceleration models, and provides a new empirical constraint for future models to be tested against. Our work highlights how a wide range of remote and in-situ data sources can be combined to perform new tests of solar wind heating and acceleration theories.