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Related papers: Formation of Magnetic Switchbacks Observed by Park…

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{Parker Solar Probe's first solar encounter has revealed the presence of sudden magnetic field deflections that are called switchbacks and are associated with proton velocity enhancements in the slow alfv\'{e}nic solar wind.} {We study…

One of the most important early results from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) is the ubiquitous presence of magnetic switchbacks, whose origin is under debate. Using a three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of the equations of…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-06-17 Munehito Shoda , Benjamin D. G. Chandran , Steven R. Cranmer

One of the striking observations from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft is the prevalence in the inner heliosphere of large amplitude, Alfv\'enic magnetic field reversals termed 'switchbacks'. These $\delta B_R/B \sim \mathcal{O}(1$)…

An outstanding gap in our knowledge of the solar wind is the relationship between switchbacks and solar wind turbulence. Switchbacks are large fluctuations, even reversals, of the background magnetic field embedded in the solar wind flow.…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2024-04-05 Peter Tatum , David Malaspina , Alexandros Chasapis , Benjamin Short

Magnetic switchbacks are localised polarity reversals in the radial component of the heliospheric magnetic field. Observations from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) have shown that they are a prevalent feature of the near-Sun solar wind. However,…

Space Physics · Physics 2023-07-19 G. H. H. Suen , C. J. Owen , D. Verscharen , T. S. Horbury , P. Louarn , R. De Marco

One of the discoveries made by Parker Solar Probe during first encounters with the Sun is the ubiquitous presence of relatively small-scale structures standing out as sudden deflections of the magnetic field. They were called switchbacks as…

Switchbacks are widely acknowledged phenomena observed by the Parker Solar Probe and appear to occur in patches. Previous studies focused on the fluctuations at the magnetic reversals. However, the nature of the fluctuations inside the…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-04-27 Honghong Wu , Chuanyi Tu , Xin Wang , Liping Yang

Switchbacks are sudden and large deflections in the magnetic field that Parker Solar Probe frequently observes in the inner heliosphere. Their ubiquitous occurrence has prompted numerous studies to determine their nature and origin. Our…

We consider 2D joint distributions of normalised residual energy $\sigma_r(s,t)$ and cross helicity $\sigma_c(s,t)$ during one day of Parker Solar Probe's (PSP's) first encounter as a function of wavelet scale $s$. The broad features of the…

Parker Solar Probe's first encounters with the Sun revealed the presence of ubiquitous localised magnetic deflections in the inner heliosphere; these structures, often called switchbacks, are particularly striking in solar wind streams…

Local inversions are often observed in the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), but their origins and evolution are not yet fully understood.Parker Solar Probe has recently observed rapid, Alfvenic, HMF inversions in the inner heliosphere,…

Space Physics · Physics 2020-04-14 Allan Macneil , Mathew Owens , Robert Wicks , Mike Lockwood , Sarah Bentley , Mathew Lang

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission has revealed frequent occurrences of switchbacks (SBs) and small-scale magnetic flux ropes (SMFRs) as prominent structures within the solar wind. These mesoscale features are observed across all…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2025-07-02 Kyung-Eun Choi , Oleksiy V. Agapitov , Dae-Young Lee , Forrest Mozer , Jia Huang , Lucas Colomban , Jaye L. Verniero , Nour Raouafi

Magnetic switchbacks, or sudden reversals in the magnetic field's radial direction, are one of the more striking observations of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) thus far in its mission. While their precise production mechanisms are still unknown,…

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…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-01-06 Allan R Macneil , Mathew J Owens , Robert T Wicks , Mike Lockwood

Magnetic switchbacks, large-amplitude, localized Alfvenic like rotations of the solar wind magnetic field, have been the subject of intensive investigation, with approximately 200 refereed papers published in the last decade. Yet,…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2026-05-15 Forrest Mozer , Oleksiy Agapitov , Kyung-Eun Choi , Richard Sydora

In-situ measurements by several spacecraft have revealed that the solar wind is frequently perturbed by transient structures (magnetic folds, jets, waves, flux-ropes) that propagate rapidly away from the Sun over large distances. Parker…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-09-15 R. F. Pinto , N. Poirier , A. P. Rouillard , A. Kouloumvakos , L. Griton , N. Fargette , R. Kieokaew , B. Lavraud , A. S. Brun

The origin of switchbacks in the solar wind is discussed in two classes of theory that differ in the location of the source being either in the transition region near the Sun or in the solar wind, itself. The two classes of theory differ in…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-10-04 Forrest S. Mozer , Stuart Bale , John Bonnell , James Drake , Elizabeth Hanson , Michael C. Mozer

During Parker Solar Probe's first two orbits there are widespread observations of rapid magnetic field reversals known as switchbacks. These switchbacks are extensively found in the near-Sun solar wind, appear to occur in patches, and have…

The magnetic switchbacks observed recently by the Parker Solar Probe have raised the question about their nature and origin. One of the competing theories of their origin is the interchange reconnection in the solar corona. In this…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-06-23 Norbert Magyar , Dominik Utz , Robertus Erdélyi , Valery M. Nakariakov

The structure of magnetic flux ropes injected into the solar wind during reconnection in the coronal atmosphere is explored with particle-in-cell simulations and compared with in situ measurements of magnetic "switchbacks" from the Parker…