Quiescent Solar Wind Regions in the Near-Sun Environment: Properties and Radial Evolution

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Main Authors: Short, Benjamin, Malaspina, David M., Chasapis, Alexandros, Verniero, Jaye L.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Short, Benjamin
Malaspina, David M.
Chasapis, Alexandros
Verniero, Jaye L.
author_facet Short, Benjamin
Malaspina, David M.
Chasapis, Alexandros
Verniero, Jaye L.
contents Regions of magnetic field with near-radial, Parker Spiral-like geometry known as quiescent regions have been observed in Parker Solar Probe data. These regions have very low $δB / \langle |B| \rangle$ compared to non-quiescent solar wind at the same heliocentric distances. Quiescent regions are observed to have lower solar wind bulk speeds, lower proton temperatures, and lower proton density, consistent with properties of the slow solar wind. Inside of 15 Rs, identified quiescent regions show distinct thermal properties, having higher proton temperature anisotropies and lower parallel plasma betas compared to switchback patches observed at the same heliocentric distances. When placed on $\mathcal{R}$ vs $β_{\parallel p}$ plots (where $\mathcal{R}$ is the proton temperature anisotropy), quiescent region solar wind is shown to be more stable to proton cyclotron and firehose instabilities than non-quiescent solar wind at the same heliocentric distances. It is shown that quiescent regions evolve similarly to the surrounding non-quiescent solar wind, but quiescent solar wind begins at a different location in the $\mathcal{R}$ vs $β_{\parallel p}$ parameter space, suggesting that these regions have separate origins than the more turbulent non-quiescent solar wind. Namely, enhanced temperature anisotropies and enhanced magnetic field strength may be consistent with magnetic field lines which have undergone less magnetic field expansion compared to non-quiescent wind at the same heliocentric distances.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_00174
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quiescent Solar Wind Regions in the Near-Sun Environment: Properties and Radial Evolution
Short, Benjamin
Malaspina, David M.
Chasapis, Alexandros
Verniero, Jaye L.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Space Physics
Regions of magnetic field with near-radial, Parker Spiral-like geometry known as quiescent regions have been observed in Parker Solar Probe data. These regions have very low $δB / \langle |B| \rangle$ compared to non-quiescent solar wind at the same heliocentric distances. Quiescent regions are observed to have lower solar wind bulk speeds, lower proton temperatures, and lower proton density, consistent with properties of the slow solar wind. Inside of 15 Rs, identified quiescent regions show distinct thermal properties, having higher proton temperature anisotropies and lower parallel plasma betas compared to switchback patches observed at the same heliocentric distances. When placed on $\mathcal{R}$ vs $β_{\parallel p}$ plots (where $\mathcal{R}$ is the proton temperature anisotropy), quiescent region solar wind is shown to be more stable to proton cyclotron and firehose instabilities than non-quiescent solar wind at the same heliocentric distances. It is shown that quiescent regions evolve similarly to the surrounding non-quiescent solar wind, but quiescent solar wind begins at a different location in the $\mathcal{R}$ vs $β_{\parallel p}$ parameter space, suggesting that these regions have separate origins than the more turbulent non-quiescent solar wind. Namely, enhanced temperature anisotropies and enhanced magnetic field strength may be consistent with magnetic field lines which have undergone less magnetic field expansion compared to non-quiescent wind at the same heliocentric distances.
title Quiescent Solar Wind Regions in the Near-Sun Environment: Properties and Radial Evolution
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00174