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Register a new userSelf-consistent Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration from Anisotropic Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence
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We present a series of models for the plasma properties along open magnetic flux tubes rooted in solar coronal holes, streamers, and active regions. These models represent the first self-consistent solutions that combine: (1) chromospheric heating driven by an empirically guided acoustic wave spectrum, (2) coronal heating from Alfven waves that have been partially reflected, then damped by anisotropic turbulent cascade, and (3) solar wind acceleration from gradients of gas pressure, acoustic wave pressure, and Alfven wave pressure. The only input parameters are the photospheric lower boundary conditions for the waves and the radial dependence of the background magnetic field along the flux tube. For a single choice for the photospheric wave properties, our models produce a realistic range of slow and fast solar wind conditions by varying only the coronal magnetic field. Specifically, a 2D model of coronal holes and streamers at solar minimum reproduces the latitudinal bifurcation of slow and fast streams seen by Ulysses. The radial gradient of the Alfven speed affects where the waves are reflected and damped, and thus whether energy is deposited below or above the Parker critical point. As predicted by earlier studies, a larger coronal ``expansion factor gives rise to a slower and denser wind, higher temperature at the coronal base, less intense Alfven waves at 1 AU, and correlative trends for commonly measured ratios of ion charge states and FIP-sensitive abundances that are in general agreement with observations. These models offer supporting evidence for the idea that coronal heating and solar wind acceleration (in open magnetic flux tubes) can occur as a result of wave dissipation and turbulent cascade. (abridged abstract)
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This paper reviews our growing understanding of the physics behind coronal heating (in open-field regions) and the acceleration of the solar wind. Many new insights have come from the last solar cycles worth of observations and theoretical work. Measurements of the plasma properties in the extended corona, where the primary solar wind acceleration occurs, have been key to discriminating between competing theories. We describe how UVCS/SOHO measurements of coronal holes and streamers over the last 14 years have provided clues about the detailed kinetic processes that energize both fast and slow wind regions. We also present a brief survey of current ideas involving the coronal source regions of fast and slow wind streams, and how these change over the solar cycle. These source regions are discussed in the context of recent theoretical models (based on Alfven waves and MHD turbulence) that have begun to successfully predict both the heating and acceleration in fast and slow wind regions with essentially no free parameters. Some new results regarding these models - including a quantitative prediction of the lower density and temperature at 1 AU seen during the present solar minimum in comparison to the prior minimum - are also shown.
We present numerical simulations of reduced magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) turbulence in a magnetic flux tube at the center of a polar coronal hole. The model for the background atmosphere is a solution of the momentum equation, and includes the effects of wave pressure on the solar wind outflow. Alfv{e}n waves are launched at the coronal base, and reflect at various heights due to variations in Alfv{e}n speed and outflow velocity. The turbulence is driven by nonlinear interactions between the counter-propagating Alfv{e}n waves. Results are presented for two models of the background atmosphere. In the first model the plasma density and Alfv{e}n speed vary smoothly with height, resulting in minimal wave reflections and low energy dissipation rates. We find that the dissipation rate is insufficient to maintain the temperature of the background atmosphere. The standard phenomenological formula for the dissipation rate significantly overestimates the rate derived from our RMHD simulations, and a revised formula is proposed. In the second model we introduce additional density variations along the flux tube with a correlation length of 0.04 $R_odot$ and with relative amplitude of $10 %$. These density variations simulate the effects of compressive MHD waves on the Alfv{e}n waves. We find that such variations significantly enhance the wave reflection and thereby the turbulent dissipation rates, producing enough heat to maintain the background atmosphere. We conclude that interactions between Alfv{e}n- and compressive waves may play an important role in the turbulent heating of the fast solar wind.
The fourth orbit of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) reached heliocentric distances down to 27.9 Rs, allowing solar wind turbulence and acceleration mechanisms to be studied in situ closer to the Sun than previously possible. The turbulence properties were found to be significantly different in the inbound and outbound portions of PSPs fourth solar encounter, likely due to the proximity to the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) in the outbound period. Near the HCS, in the streamer belt wind, the turbulence was found to have lower amplitudes, higher magnetic compressibility, a steeper magnetic field spectrum (with spectral index close to -5/3 rather than -3/2), a lower Alfvenicity, and a 1/f break at much lower frequencies. These are also features of slow wind at 1 au, suggesting the near-Sun streamer belt wind to be the prototypical slow solar wind. The transition in properties occurs at a predicted angular distance of ~4{deg} from the HCS, suggesting ~8{deg} as the full-width of the streamer belt wind at these distances. While the majority of the Alfvenic turbulence energy fluxes measured by PSP are consistent with those required for reflection-driven turbulence models of solar wind acceleration, the fluxes in the streamer belt are significantly lower than the model predictions, suggesting that additional mechanisms are necessary to explain the acceleration of the streamer belt solar wind.
We have performed a 2.5 dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation that resolves the propagation and dissipation of Alfven waves in the solar atmosphere. Alfvenic fluctuations are introduced on the bottom boundary of the extremely large simulation box that ranges from the photosphere to far above the solar wind acceleration region. Our model is ab initio in the sense that no corona and no wind are assumed initially.The numerical experiment reveals the quasi-steady solution that has the transition from the cool to the hot atmosphere and the emergence of the high speed wind. The global structure of the resulting hot wind solution fairly well agree with the coronal and the solar wind structure inferred from observations. The purpose of this study is to complement the previous paper by Matsumoto & Suzuki (2012) and describe the more detailed results and the analysis method. These results include the dynamics of the transition region and the more precisely measured heating rate in the atmosphere. Particularly, the spatial distribution of the heating rate helps us to interpret the actual heating mechanisms in the numerical simulation.Our estimation method of heating rate turned out to be a good measure for dissipation of Alfven waves and low beta fast waves.
Extended or generalized similarity is a ubiquitous but not well understood feature of turbulence that is realized over a finite range of scales. ULYSSES spacecraft solar polar passes at solar minimum provide textit{in situ} observations of evolving anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind under ideal conditions of fast quiet flow. We find a single generalized scaling function characterises this finite range turbulence and is insensitive to plasma conditions. The recent unusually inactive solar minimum -with turbulent fluctuations down by a factor of $sim 2$ in power- provides a test of this invariance.
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