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Motivated by recent Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations of "switchbacks" (abrupt, large-amplitude reversals in the radial magnetic field, which exhibit Alfv\'enic correlations) we examine the dynamics of large-amplitude Alfv\'en waves in…

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission presents a unique opportunity to study the near-Sun solar wind closer than any previous spacecraft. During its fourth and fifth solar encounters, PSP had the same orbital trajectory, meaning that solar…

One of the most striking observations made by Parker Solar Probe during its first solar encounter is the omnipresence of rapid polarity reversals in a magnetic field that is otherwise mostly radial. These so-called switchbacks strongly…

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

Magnetic flux rope, formed by the helical magnetic field lines, can sometimes remain its shape while carrying significant plasma flow that is aligned with the local magnetic field. We report the existence of such structures and static flux…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2021-06-30 Yu Chen , Qiang Hu , Lingling Zhao , Justin C. Kasper , Jia Huang

Regions of magnetic field with near-radial, Parker Spiral-like geometry known as quiescent regions have been observed in Parker Solar Probe data. These regions have very low $\delta B / \langle |B| \rangle$ compared to non-quiescent solar…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2024-06-04 Benjamin Short , David M. Malaspina , Alexandros Chasapis , Jaye L. Verniero

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

Context. Large-amplitude inversions of the solar wind's interplanetary magnetic field have long been documented; however, observations from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission have renewed interest in this phenomenon as such features,…

Switchbacks (SBs) are localized magnetic field deflections in the solar wind, marked by abrupt changes in the magnetic field direction relative to the ambient solar wind. Observations onboard Parker Solar Probe (PSP) at heliocentric…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2025-07-03 Kyung-Eun Choi , Oleksiy V. Agapitov , Nina Bizien , Thierry Dudok De Wit , Lucas Colomban

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…

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…

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has observed copious rapid magnetic field direction changes in the near-Sun solar wind. These features have been called "switchbacks," and their origin is a mystery. But their widespread nature suggests that…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2020-06-24 Alphonse C. Sterling , Ronald L. Moore

We investigate the orientation of the magnetic field deflections in switchbacks (SB) to determine if they are characterised by a possible preferential orientation. We compute the deflection angles of the magnetic field relative to the…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2022-07-20 Naïs Fargette , Benoit Lavraud , Alexis P. Rouillard , Victor Réville , Stuart D. Bale , Justin Kasper

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

The fourth orbit of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) reached heliocentric distances down to 27.9 Rs, allowing solar wind turbulence and acceleration mechanisms to be studied in situ closer to the Sun than previously possible. The turbulence…

We analyze a merged Parker Solar Probe ($PSP$) and Solar Orbiter ($SO$) dataset covering heliocentric distances $13 \ R_{\odot} \lesssim R \lesssim 220$ $R_{\odot}$ to investigate the radial evolution of power and spectral-index anisotropy…

We identify and examine the solar wind intervals near the sonic critical point (i.e., $M_S \sim 1$) observed by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). The near subsonic wind intervals show similar properties: a low density, an extremely low…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2024-04-16 Wenshuai Cheng , Ying D. Liu , Hao Ran , Yiming Jiao , Michael L. Stevens , Justin C. Kasper

Switchbacks -- rapid, large deflections of the solar wind's magnetic field -- have generated significant interest as possible signatures of the key mechanisms that heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. In this context, an important…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2022-11-23 Jonathan Squire , Zade Johnston , Alfred Mallet , Romain Meyrand

Magnetic switchbacks are of continuing interest to the scientific community due to the fact that the phenomenon has not been completely understood. Although most of the research into them in the Parker Solar Probe era has largely focused on…

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics · Physics 2025-09-04 Emily McDougall , Bala Poduval