A generalized method for estimating solar wind speeds and densities using spectral broadening for a Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum

Abstract

We present a unified method to derive both solar wind velocities and coronal electron densities in the near-Sun corona using Doppler spectral broadening of spacecraft radio signals. The method is generalized to be frequency independent under the assumption that electron density fluctuations follow a Kolmogorov spectrum. We validate the approach using S-band data from India's Mars Orbiter Mission during the October 2021 superior conjunction at 5-8 R${}_{\odot }$, and X-band data from Japan's Akatsuki during June 2016 and October 2022 conjunctions spanning 1.4-10 R${}_{\odot }$. From S-band we obtained wind speeds of 100-150 km s${}^{-1}$ and electron densities of order $10^{10}$ m${}^{-3}$. X-band results show speeds ranging from $\sim$150 km s${}^{-1}$ near the equator to $\sim$400 km s${}^{-1}$ in coronal-hole regions, with consistent radial trends in density. We provide a compact, frequency-scaled relation that maps Doppler spectral width to both $v$ and $N_e$. The formulation enables consistent application across telecommunication bands and complements in-situ probes for coronal plasma studies.

15 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research