Switchbacks in the near-Sun magnetic field: long memory and impact on the turbulence cascade

Abstract

One of the most striking observations made by Parker Solar Probe during its first solar encounter is the omnipresence of rapid polarity reversals in a magnetic field that is otherwise mostly radial. These so-called switchbacks strongly affect the dynamics of the magnetic field. We concentrate here on their macroscopic properties. First, we find that these structures are self-similar, and have neither a characteristic magnitude, nor a characteristic duration. Their waiting time statistics shows evidence for aggregation. The associated long memory resides in their occurrence rate, and is not inherent to the background fluctuations. Interestingly, the spectral properties of inertial range turbulence differ inside and outside of switchback structures; in the latter the $1/f$ range extends to higher frequencies. These results suggest that outside of these structures we are in the presence of lower amplitude fluctuations with a shorter turbulent inertial range. We conjecture that these correspond to a pristine solar wind.

10 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (2020)

References in corpus (8)

• The Evolution and Role of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere
• 25 Years of Self-Organized Criticality: Solar and Astrophysics
• Magnetic connectivity of the ecliptic plane within 0.5 AU : PFSS modeling of the first PSP encounter
• Ion Scale Electromagnetic Waves in the Inner Heliosphere
• Magnetic field kinks and folds in the solar wind
• Cross Helicity Reversals In Magnetic Switchbacks
• On the 1/f spectrum in the solar wind and its connection with magnetic compressibility
• Statistics and Polarization of Type III Radio Bursts Observed in the Inner Heliosphere

Cited by in corpus (92)

• The Solar Orbiter mission -- Science overview
• The Evolution and Role of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere
• In-situ switchback formation in the expanding solar wind
• Magnetic connectivity of the ecliptic plane within 0.5 AU : PFSS modeling of the first PSP encounter
• Parker Solar Probe: Four Years of Discoveries at Solar Cycle Minimum
• Ion Scale Electromagnetic Waves in the Inner Heliosphere
• A solar source of Alfvénic magnetic field switchbacks: {\em in situ} remnants of magnetic funnels on supergranulation scales
• Parker Solar Probe observations of proton beams simultaneous with ion-scale waves
• Switchbacks Explained: Super-Parker Fields -- the Other Side of the Sub-Parker Spiral
• Coronal-Jet-Producing Minifilament Eruptions as a Possible Source of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Switchbacks
• Cross Helicity Reversals In Magnetic Switchbacks
• Enhanced Energy Transfer Rate in Solar Wind Turbulence Observed near the Sun from Parker Solar Probe
• Characteristic scales of magnetic switchback patches near the Sun and their possible association with solar supergranulation and granulation
• Sub-Alfvenic Solar Wind observed by PSP: Characterization of Turbulence, Anisotropy, Intermittency, and Switchback
• Evolution of switchbacks in the inner Heliosphere
• Observation of Magnetic Switchback in the Solar Corona
• Evolution of large-amplitude Alfvén waves and generation of switchbacks in the expanding solar wind
• Kinetic Scale Slow Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere: Co-existence of Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Alfvén Ion Cyclotron Waves
• Subproton-scale Intermittency in Near-Sun Solar Wind Turbulence Observed by the Parker Solar Probe
• Clustering of Intermittent Magnetic and Flow Structures near Parker Solar Probe's First Perihelion -- A Partial-Variance-of-Increments Analysis
• Applicability of Taylor's Hypothesis during Parker Solar Probe perihelia
• The Electromagnetic Signature of Outward Propagating Ion-Scale Waves
• Direct evidence for magnetic reconnection at the boundaries of magnetic switchbacks with Parker Solar Probe
• Proton Core Behaviour Inside Magnetic Field Switchbacks
• Multiscale Solar Wind Turbulence Properties inside and near Switchbacks measured by Parker Solar Probe
• New Observations of Solar Wind 1/f Turbulence Spectrum from Parker Solar Probe
• Parker Solar Probe evidence for scattering of electrons in the young solar wind by narrowband whistler-mode waves
• Patches of magnetic switchbacks and their origins
• Large-scale Structure and Turbulence Transport in the Inner Solar Wind -- Comparison of Parker Solar Probe's First Five Orbits with a Global 3D Reynolds-averaged MHD Model
• On the origin of switchbacks observed in the solar wind
• Stirring the Base of the Solar Wind: On Heat Transfer and Vortex Formation
• First-year ion-acoustic wave observations in the solar wind by the RPW/TDS instrument onboard Solar Orbiter
• Small-scale Magnetic Flux Ropes with Field-aligned Flows via the PSP In-situ Observations
• Statistical analysis of intermittency and its association with proton heating in the near Sun environment
• Flux rope merging and the structure of switchbacks in the solar wind
• Could switchbacks originate in the lower solar atmosphere? I. Formation mechanisms of switchbacks
• Energy Supply for Heating the Slow Solar Wind Observed by Parker Solar Probe between 0.17 and 0.7 au
• The Structure and Origin of Switchbacks: Parker Solar Probe Observations
• On the Generation and Evolution of Switchbacks and the Morphology of Alfvénic Transition: Low Mach-number Boundary Layers
• The preferential orientation of magnetic switchbacks, implications for solar magnetic flux transport
• Markovian Features of the Solar Wind at Sub-Proton Scales
• On the properties of Alfvénic switchbacks in the expanding solar wind: the influence of the Parker spiral
• Coronal heating and solar wind formation in quiet Sun and coronal holes: a unified scenario
• Parker Solar Probe Observations of High Plasma Beta Solar Wind from Streamer Belt
• A Statistical Study of the Compressible Energy Cascade Rate in Solar Wind Turbulence: Parker Solar Probe Observations
• Total Electron Temperature Derived from Quasi-Thermal Noise Spectroscopy In the Pristine Solar Wind: Parker Solar Probe Observations
• The Poissonian Origin of Power Laws in Solar Flare Waiting Time Distributions
• Whistler waves generated inside magnetic dips in the young solar wind: observations of the Search-Coil Magnetometer on board Parker Solar Probe
• Density And Velocity Fluctuations of Alpha Particles in Magnetic Switchbacks
• Anisotropic Magnetic Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere -- Radial Evolution of Distributions observed by Parker Solar Probe
• Could switchbacks originate in the lower solar atmosphere? II. Propagation of switchbacks in the solar corona
• Large Amplitude Switchback Turbulence: Possible Magnetic Velocity Alignment Structures
• The Solar Memory From Hours to Decades
• Are Switchback boundaries observed by Parker Solar Probe closed?
• Solar Spicules, Filigrees and Solar Wind Switchbacks
• Kinetic Scale Spectral Features of Cross Helicity and Residual Energy in the Inner Heliosphere
• Reconciling Parker Solar Probe observations and magnetohydrodynamic theory
• Cross Helicity and the Helium Abundance as an in situ Metric of Solar Wind Acceleration
• Propagation of untwisting solar jets from the low-beta corona into the super-Alfvénic wind: Testing a solar origin scenario for switchbacks
• Analytic Model and Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Three-dimensional Magnetic Switchbacks
• The Temperature, Electron, and Pressure Characteristics of Switchbacks: Parker Solar Probe Observations
• Dispersive and kinetic effects on kinked Alfvén wave packets: a comparative study with fluid and hybrid models
• Switchback Deflections Beyond the Early Parker Solar Probe Encounters
• Correlation of the sunspot number and the waiting time distribution of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and solar wind switchback events observed with the Parker Solar Probe
• Solar Chromospheric Network as a Source for Solar Wind Switchbacks
• Analysis of the distribution, rotation and scale characteristics of solar wind switchbacks: comparison between the first and second encounters of Parker Solar Probe
• Quantifying the diffusion of suprathermal electrons by whistler waves between 0.2 and 1 AU with Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe
• Features of magnetic field switchbacks in relation to the local-field geometry of large-amplitude Alfvénic oscillations: \emph{Wind} and \emph{PSP} observations
• Tracing magnetic switchbacks to their source: An assessment of solar coronal jets as switchback precursors
• Physics-Based Simulation of the 2013 April 11 Solar Energetic Particle Event
• Effect of Spherical Polarization on the Magnetic Spectrum of the Solar Wind
• Energetic particle dynamics in a simplified model of a solar wind magnetic switchback
• Domains of Magnetic Pressure Balance in Parker Solar Probe Observations of the Solar Wind
• Reconstruction of Polarization Properties of Whistler Waves From Two Magnetic and Two Electric Field Components: Application to Parker Solar Probe Measurements
• Large-scale circulation reversals explained by pendulum correspondence
• Magnetic reconnection as an erosion mechanism for magnetic switchbacks
• Formation of Magnetic Switchbacks via expanding Alfvén Waves
• Switchbacks near Boundaries of Small-scale Magnetic Flux Ropes in the Young Solar Wind from Parker Solar Probe Observations
• On the scaling and anisotropy of two subranges in the inertial range of solar wind turbulence
• Evolving Solar Wind Flow Properties of Magnetic Inversions Observed by Helios
• A Tale of Two Shocks
• Two Types of $1/f$ Range in Solar Wind Turbulence
• Solar Alfvenic Pulses and Mesoscale Solar Wind
• Does Turbulence along the Coronal Current Sheet Drive Ion Cyclotron Waves?
• Inward Propagating Plasma Parcels in the Solar Corona: Models with Aerodynamic Drag, Ablation, and Snowplow Accretion
• Density fluctuation in the solar corona and solar wind: A comparative analysis of radio-occultation observations and magnetohydrodynamic simulation
• Energetic Ion Composition as a Means of Investigating the Physical Origins of Alpha Particle Heavy Magnetic Switchbacks
• Three dimensional, spherically polarized magnetic fields
• Small-scale magnetic flux ropes and their properties based on in-situ measurements from Parker Solar Probe
• Magnetic Switchback Occurrence Rates in the Inner Heliosphere: Parker Solar Probe and 1 au
• Testing the Alfvén-wave model of the solar wind with interplanetary scintillation
• Probing Solar Wind Structures with Solar Energetic Particle Observations from Solar Orbiter