Solar Chromospheric Network as a Source for Solar Wind Switchbacks

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2022

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that the magnetic switchbacks (SBs) detected by the Parker Solar Probe carry information on the scales of solar supergranulation (large scale) and granulation (medium scale). We test this claim using high-resolution Hα images obtained with the visible spectropolarimeters of the Goode Solar Telescope in Big Bear Solar Observatory. As possible solar sources, we count all the spicule-like features standing along the chromospheric networks near the coronal hole boundary visible in the Hα blue-wing but absent in the red-wing images and measure the geometric parameters of dense sections of individual flux tubes. Intervals between adjacent spicules located along the chromospheric networks are found in the range of 0.4-1.5 Mm (0.°03-0.°12) tending to be smaller than the medium scale of SBs. Interdistances between all pairs of the flux tubes are also counted and they appear in a single peak distribution around 0.7 Mm (0.°06) unlike the waiting-time distribution of SBs in a scale-free single power-law form. The length-to-diameter ratio of the dense section of flux tubes is as high as 6-40, similar to the aspect ratio of SBs. The number of spicules along a network can be as high as 40-100, consistent with numerous SBs within a patch. With these numbers, it is argued that the medium scale of SBs can be understood as an equilibrium distance resulting from a random walk within each diverging magnetic field funnel connected to the chromospheric networks.

Identifier

85138063984 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac86bf

e-ISSN

20418213

ISSN

20418205

Issue

2

Volume

935

Grant

AGS-1821294

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS