Evolution and Impact of Switchbacks Throughout the Heliosphere
Abstract Magnetic switchbacks are large-amplitude fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field, and appear frequently in the near-Sun solar wind explored recently by Parker Solar Probe: these new observations have prompted many new studies into their properties and origins. Here, we first review what is known about how switchbacks evolve as they travel away from the Sun: both in terms of their expansion-driven growth and their decay due to various processes like turbulence, reconnection, dispersion, parametric instability, and interaction with interplanetary shocks. We then review the current state of knowledge on how switchbacks impact the physics of the solar wind as a whole: in terms of the turbulent cascade, acceleration and heating of the wind, modification of the open solar flux and scattering of energetic particles. Finally, we suggest future studies to further our understanding of switchback evolution and impacts on the heliosphere.
Authors
- J. F. Drake (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-1841)
- M. Velli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2381-3106)
- M. I. Desai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7318-6008)
- L. Sorriso‐Valvo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5981-7758)
- Gabriel Ho Hin Suen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9387-5847)
- M. Swisdak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5435-3544)
- M. J. Owens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2061-2453)
- T. S. Horbury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7572-4690)
- Mojtaba Akhavan‐Tafti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3721-2114)
- A. Larosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7653-9147)
- O. V. Agapitov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6427-1596)
- Jonathan Squire (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8479-962X)
- Lorenzo Matteini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6276-7771)
- F. Malara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5554-8765)
- Trevor A. Bowen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4625-3332)
- Samuel T. Badman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6145-436X)
- M. S. Madjarska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9806-2485)
- Nikos Sioulas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1128-9685)
- Victor Réville (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2916-3837)
- Shirsh Lata Soni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5550-739X)
- J. L. Verniero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1138-652X)
- Chen Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2582-7085)
- Anna Tenerani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2880-6084)
- Alfred Mallet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9202-1340)
- Nina Bizien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6767-0672)
- Nicholas Watkins
Institutions
- Université d'Orléans (FR)
- Southwest Research Institute (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Planetary Science Institute (US)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (SE)
- Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (FR)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (UA)
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KR)
- Space Research and Technology Institute (BG)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Heliophysics (US)
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (DE)
- Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US)
- Institute for the Science and Technology of Plasmas (IT)
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (FR)
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l’Environnement et de l’Espace (FR)
- Heliophysics Science Division (US)
- University College London (GB)
- University of Calabria (IT)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- University of Reading (GB)
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Auburn University (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Space Science Reviews
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01311-9
- Primary Topic
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Research Foundation
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- International Space Science Institute