Switchback-like structures observed by Solar Orbiter

Rapid polarity reversals of the radial heliospheric magnetic fieldwere discovered by Ulysses, and are now observed as a frequent near-Sunphenomenon by NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP). Other solar wind missions,including ESA-NASA Solar Orbiter (SolO), also observe similar phenomena.The nature of these fluctuations is unclear, and the relation betweenthe "switchbacks" observed near Sun and similar events observed at 1 AU is unknown.We make a detailed case study of SolO plasma and magnetic fielddata obtained in the region magnetically connected to a coronal hole.We would like to check if such fluctuations might have the same originas "swithbacks" observed by PSP over the same coronal hole. On27 September 2020 PSP and SolO were located around the same Carringtonlongitude and their latitudinal separation was very small. Solar windplasma and magnetic field data during this time interval confirmsthat at least at times the solar wind observed by both spacecraftdoes originate from the same coronal hole region, and that duringthese time intervals SolO experiences several short variations similarto the "switchbacks" regularly observed by PSP. Solar Orbiter suprathermal electron pitch angle distributions andalpha-particle speed variations indicate that the local magnetic fieldline was bent 180 degrees by solar wind velocity shear. Variationsin electron and proton velocity distribution functions suggest thatbent field lines reconnect with themselves, producing flux ropes.The observed flux ropes might be the survivor and modified remainsof the switchbacks created near Sun and observed by PSP.