Predictions for the First Parker Solar Probe Encounter

Abstract

We examine Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM) predictions of the first Parker Solar Probe (PSP) encounter. We focus on the 12-day closest approach centered on the 1st perihelion. AWSoM (van der Holst et al., 2014) allows us to interpret the PSP data in the context of coronal heating via Alfvén wave turbulence. The coronal heating and acceleration is addressed via outward-propagating low-frequency Alfvén waves that are partially reflected by Alfvén speed gradients. The nonlinear interaction of these counter-propagating waves results in a turbulent energy cascade. To apportion the wave dissipation to the electron and anisotropic proton temperatures, we employ the results of the theories of linear wave damping and nonlinear stochastic heating as described by Chandran et al. (2011). We find that during the first encounter, PSP was in close proximity to the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) and in the slow wind. PSP crossed the HCS two times, namely at 2018/11/03 UT 01:02 and 2018/11/08 UT 19:09 with perihelion occuring on the south of side of the HCS. We predict the plasma state along the PSP trajectory, which shows a dominant proton parallel temperature causing the plasma to be firehose unstable.

16 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

References in corpus (1)

• Advancements in the ADAPT Photospheric Flux Transport Model

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Validation of the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM) with Observations from the Low Corona to 1 AU
• Predicting the Structure of the Solar Corona and Inner Heliosphere during Parker Solar Probe's First Perihelion Pass
• Prediction and Verification of Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Sources at 13.3 R${}_{\odot }$
• Simulating the Space Weather in the AU Mic System: Stellar Winds and Extreme Coronal Mass Ejections
• Tuning the Exo-Space Weather Radio for Stellar Coronal Mass Ejections
• Predicting the Solar Wind at Parker Solar Probe Using an Empirically Driven MHD Model
• Thermodynamic Structure of the Solar Corona: Tomographic Reconstructions and MHD Modeling
• The winds of young Solar-type stars in the Pleiades, AB Doradus, Columba and $\beta$ Pictoris