Related papers: Determination of Solar Wind Angular Momentum and A…
The Alfv\'en surface -- where the solar wind exceeds the local Alfv\'en speed as it expands into interplanetary space -- is now routinely probed by NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in the near-Sun environment. The size of the Alfv\'en…
The long-term evolution of the Sun's rotation period cannot be directly observed, and is instead inferred from trends in the measured rotation periods of other Sun-like stars. Assuming the Sun spins-down as it ages, following rotation rate…
An accurate assessment of the Sun's angular momentum (AM) loss rate is an independent constraint for models that describe the rotation evolution of Sun-like stars. In-situ measurements of the solar wind taken by Parker Solar Probe (PSP), at…
The geometry of a star's Alfv\'en surface determines stellar angular momentum loss, separates a causally distinct 'corona' and stellar wind, and potentially affects exoplanetary habitability. The solar Alfv\'en surface is the only such…
The velocity of alpha particles relative to protons can vary depending on the solar wind type and distance from the Sun (Marsch 2012). Measurements from the previous spacecraft provided the alpha-proton's differential velocities down to 0.3…
The effect of solar rotation on the proton-alpha differential flow speed, $v_{\alpha p}$, and consequently on the angular momentum transport in the solar wind, is explored. It is found that the force introduced by the azimuthal components…
The classic Weber-Davis model of the solar wind is reconsidered by incorporating alpha particles and by allowing the solar wind to flow out of the equatorial plane in an axisymmetrical configuration. In the ion momentum equations of the…
During Parker Solar Probe's first orbit, the solar wind plasma has been observed in situ closer than ever before, the perihelion on November 6th 2018 revealing a flow that is constantly permeated by large amplitude Alfv\'enic fluctuations.…
The rate at which the solar wind extracts angular momentum from the Sun has been predicted by theoretical models for many decades, and yet we lack a conclusive measurement from in-situ observations. In this letter we present a new estimate…
We identify more than ten steady sub-Alfv\'enic solar wind intervals from the measurements of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) from encounter 8 to encounter 14. An analysis of these sub-Alfv\'enic intervals reveals similar properties and…
Close to Earth the solar wind is usually super-Alfv\'enic, i.e. the speed of the solar wind is much larger than the Alfv\'en speed. However, in the lower coronal regions, the solar wind is mostly sub-Alfv\'enic. With the Parker Solar Probe…
We make use of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) data to explore the nature of solar wind turbulence focusing on the Alfv\'enic character and power spectra of the fluctuations and their dependence on distance and context (i.e. large scale solar…
The first two orbits of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft have enabled the first in situ measurements of the solar wind down to a heliocentric distance of 0.17 au (or 36 Rs). Here, we present an analysis of this data to study solar…
Characterizing the plasma state in the near-Sun environment is essential to constrain the mechanisms that heat and accelerate the solar wind. In this study, we use Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations from Encounters 1 through 24 to…
In the lower solar coronal regions where the magnetic field is dominant, the Alfven speed is much higher than the wind speed. In contrast, the near-Earth solar wind is strongly super-Alfvenic, i.e., the wind speed greatly exceeds the Alfven…
Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations during its first encounter at 35.7 $R_\odot$ have shown the presence of magnetic field lines which are strongly perturbed to the point that they produce local inversions of the radial magnetic field,…
A variety of energy sources, ranging from dynamic processes like magnetic reconnection and waves to quasi-steady terms like the plasma pressure, may contribute to the acceleration of the solar wind. We utilize a combination of charged…
In the corona, plasma is accelerated to hundreds of kilometers per second, and heated to temperatures hundreds of times hotter than the Sun's surface, before it escapes to form the solar wind. Decades of space-based experiments have shown…
In its first encounter at solar distances as close as r = 0.16AU, Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observed numerous local reversals, or inversions, in the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), which were accompanied by large spikes in solar wind…
Data obtained from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) since 2021 April have shown the first in situ observation of the solar corona, where the solar wind is formed and accelerated. Here we investigate the alpha-proton differential flow and its…