In situ observations of large-amplitude Alfvén waves heating and accelerating the solar wind
After leaving the Sun's corona, the solar wind continues to accelerate and cools, but more slowly than expected for a freely expanding adiabatic gas. Alfvén waves are perturbations of the interplanetary magnetic field that transport energy. We use in situ measurements from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter spacecraft to investigate a stream of solar wind as it traverses the inner heliosphere. The observations show heating and acceleration of the plasma between the outer edge of the corona and near the orbit of Venus, along with the presence of large-amplitude Alfvén waves. We calculate that the damping and mechanical work performed by the Alfvén waves are sufficient to power the heating and acceleration of the fast solar wind in the inner heliosphere.
Authors
- P. Louarn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2783-0808)
- J. C. Kasper (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7077-930X)
- T. S. Horbury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7572-4690)
- Yeimy J. Rivera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8748-2123)
- K. W. Paulson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5699-090X)
- M. L. Stevens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7728-0085)
- J. S. Halekas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5258-6128)
- Jim M. Raines (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5956-9523)
- Christopher John Owen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5982-4667)
- S. Livi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4149-7311)
- Samuel T. Badman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6145-436X)
- Stuart D. Bale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1989-3596)
- Rossana De Marco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7426-7379)
- J. L. Verniero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1138-652X)
- S. T. Lepri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1611-227X)
- J. E. Stawarz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5702-5802)
- R. M. Dewey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4437-0698)
- Tatiana Niembro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6692-9187)
- Chen Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2582-7085)
Institutions
- University of Iowa (US)
- Southwest Research Institute (US)
- Planetary Science Institute (US)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Department of Space (IN)
- Northumbria University (GB)
- Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IT)
- Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US)
- SA Technologies (United States) (US)
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (FR)
- University College London (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2024-08-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adk6953
- Citations
- 63
- Primary Topic
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 20.88
Funders
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Harvard University
- University of Minnesota
- Johns Hopkins University
- Imperial College London
- Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Marshall Space Flight Center
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Los Alamos National Laboratory