Solar Wind Turbulence Spectra and Correlation Scale from 4 to 50 $r_\odot$: STEREO and PUNCH Observations

We investigate the radial evolution of solar wind turbulence using remote-sensing brightness observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the first science-ready images from the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission. Exploiting the combined wide fields of view of STEREO's COR2 coronagraph (4-9 r_sun) and PUNCH's Wide Field Imager (WFI, 21-50 r_sun), we track the radial evolution of the power spectral density and correlation scale of density fluctuations from 4 to 50 r_sun. Line-of-sight integration systematically steepens the "usual" turbulence scaling laws by a constant offset of about -0.5 across all resolved scales, so that the energy-containing range (nominally k^-1) and the inertial range (nominally k^-5/3) appear as k^-1.5 and k^-2.1, respectively -- consistent with previous synthetic-image simulations. The correlation scale increases with heliocentric distance across the full range of heliodistances probed, in accordance with previous theoretical models and observations at closer distances from the Sun.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
arXiv (Cornell University)
Published
2026-11-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2611.03328
Primary Topic
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Type
preprint
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preprint

Solar Wind Turbulence Spectra and Correlation Scale from 4 to 50 $r_\odot$: STEREO and PUNCH Observations

van Kooten, D. B. Seaton, D. A. Lamb, G. Nisticò et al.
arXiv (Cornell University)
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
preprint

Solar Wind Turbulence Spectra and Correlation Scale from 4 to 50 $r_\odot$: STEREO and PUNCH Observations

van Kooten, D. B. Seaton, D. A. Lamb, G. Nisticò, G. T. Laurent, Y. Yang, F. Pecora, W. H. Matthaeus, J. J. Wang, N. Viall, R. Chhiber, J. Redfern, M. N. Beasley, C. Lowder, C. DeForest, R. Killough, R. C. Colaninno, J. M. Hughes, W. L. Wells, N. R. Waltham, R. Patel, Z. Gao, S. E. Gibson, S. Adhikari
preprint en

Abstract

We investigate the radial evolution of solar wind turbulence using remote-sensing brightness observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the first science-ready images from the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission. Exploiting the combined wide fields of view of STEREO's COR2 coronagraph (4-9 r_sun) and PUNCH's Wide Field Imager (WFI, 21-50 r_sun), we track the radial evolution of the power spectral density and correlation scale of density fluctuations from 4 to 50 r_sun. Line-of-sight integration systematically steepens the "usual" turbulence scaling laws by a constant offset of about -0.5 across all resolved scales, so that the energy-containing range (nominally k^-1) and the inertial range (nominally k^-5/3) appear as k^-1.5 and k^-2.1, respectively -- consistent with previous synthetic-image simulations. The correlation scale increases with heliocentric distance across the full range of heliodistances probed, in accordance with previous theoretical models and observations at closer distances from the Sun.

arXiv (Cornell University)
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
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