Observing and quantifying the solar wind signature of the magnetically complex corona.

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2159 Plasma Waves And Turbulence, 2162 Solar Cycle Variations (7536), 3265 Stochastic Processes (3235, 4468, 4475, 7857), 4475 Scaling: Spatial And Temporal (1872, 3270, 4277), 7857 Stochastic Phenomena (3235, 3265, 4475)

Scientific paper

The solar wind exhibits fluctuations over a broad range of timescales characteristic of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence evolving in the presence of structures of coronal origin. In- situ spacecraft observations of plasma parameters are at minute (or below) resolution for intervals spanning the solar cycle and provide a large number of samples for statistical studies. The magnetic field power spectrum typically has two characteristic components, an inertial range of turbulence over several orders of magnitude with approximately Kolmogorov power law and at lower frequencies, an approximately '1/f' energy containing range believed to be of direct coronal origin. We focus on the behaviour of in- situ observations of fluctuations in the inner heliosphere as a function of solar cycle and solar wind speed; that is, with respect to coronal structure and dynamics. We employ a recently developed technique that sensitively distinguishes between fractal and multifractal scaling in the timeseries. Our working hypothesis is that since the latter can be characteristic of local MHD turbulence, the former maps more directly to features of coronal origin. We find a strong correlation between the scaling properties of magnetic energy density fluctuations and the magnetic complexity of the coronal magnetic fields. At solar maximum in the ecliptic, where the in- situ observations can be dominated by slow solar wind, the magnetic energy density as seen by WIND and ACE shows a fractal signature, whereas at minimum it is multifractal. This is corroborated by ULLYSES polar observations at solar minimum in quiet, fast solar wind where again, multifractal scaling is found. This high magnetic complexity in the corona corresponds to fractal, rather than multifractal scaling in magnetic energy density; remarkably, this fractal signature dominates the full dynamic range of observations, extending across timescales typically identified with both the '1/f' and 'inertial range'. The correlation of behaviour of other bulk plasma parameters observed in- situ with the magnetic complexity of the coronal will also be discussed. Since we are able to quantify scaling exponents, our results provide constraints on models for the solar wind. In particular, the fractal signature which we discuss here can be captured by a nonlinear Fokker Planck model, with the prospect of a quantitative mapping back to the corona.

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