Modeling of Joint Parker Solar Probe - Metis/Solar Orbiter Observations

Abstract

We present a first theoretical modeling of joint Parker Solar Probe (PSP) - Metis/Solar Orbiter (SolO) quadrature observations Telloni et al 2022c. The combined observations describe the evolution of a slow solar wind plasma parcel from the extended solar corona ($3.5-6.3$ R${}_{\odot }$) to the very inner heliosphere (23.2 R${}_{\odot }$). The Metis/SolO instrument remotely measures the solar wind speed finding a range from $96-201$ kms${}^{-1}$, and PSP measures the solar wind plasma in situ, observing a radial speed of 219.34 kms${}^{-1}$. We find theoretically and observationally that the solar wind speed accelerates rapidly within 3.3 -- 4 R${}_{\odot }$, and then increases more gradually with distance. Similarly, we find that the theoretical solar wind density is consistent with the remotely and in situ observed solar wind density. The normalized cross-helicity and normalized residual energy observed by PSP are 0.96 and -0.07, respectively, indicating that the slow solar wind is very Alfvénic. The theoretical NI/slab results are very similar to PSP measurements, which is a consequence of the highly magnetic field-aligned radial flow ensuring that PSP can measure slab fluctuations and not 2D. Finally, we calculate the theoretical 2D and slab turbulence pressure, finding that the theoretical slab pressure is very similar to that observed by PSP.

12 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Metis: the Solar Orbiter visible light and ultraviolet coronal imager
• Contextual Predictions for Parker Solar Probe II: Turbulence Properties and Taylor Hypothesis
• Exploring the Solar Wind from its Source on the Corona into the Inner Heliosphere during the First Solar Orbiter - Parker Solar Probe Quadrature
• The incompressible energy cascade rate in anisotropic solar wind turbulence
• On the Conservation of Turbulence Energy in Turbulence Transport Models

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Turbulence dynamics and flow speeds in the inner solar corona: Results from radio-sounding experiments by the Akatsuki spacecraft
• Does Turbulence along the Coronal Current Sheet Drive Ion Cyclotron Waves?
• Connecting Solar Orbiter remote-sensing observations and Parker Solar Probe in-situ measurements with a numerical MHD reconstruction of the Parker spiral
• Nature of Transonic Sub-Alfvénic Turbulence and Density Fluctuations in the Near-Sun Solar Wind: Insights from Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations and Nearly-Incompressible Models