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Dryad

Magnetic field enhancements in the solar wind: Diverse processes manifesting a uniform observation type?

Jia, Ying-Dong1

Published Jan 16, 2024; Updated Feb 06, 2024 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0cfxpp9v

Data files

Feb 06, 2024 version files 2.40 GB

Abstract

Within the solar wind throughout the inner heliosphere, observations reveal the presence of magnetic field enhancements accompanied by thin current sheets at varying distances from the sun and across different longitudes and latitudes. Two primary explanations have been proposed to elucidate these phenomena: Solar wind-dust interaction and interlacing flux ropes. In this study, we employ multi-fluid Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and Hall MHD models to simulate these hypotheses, respectively. Our findings indicate a concurrence between both models and the observed phenomena, suggesting that both processes may result in the same kind of enhancement. Furthermore, both models make predictions pointing to additional types of observational data, occurring at distinct spatial or temporal stages of the interaction. This convergence of model predictions with empirical data underscores the need for further observational and modeling studies to comprehensively test these models. This research enhances our knowledge of the inner heliosphere's dynamics and the influence of the solar wind on the Earth's magnetosphere, thereby shedding light on critical aspects of space weather and its potential impact on our planet.