Abstract
We present a summary of results from ten years of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations of stream interaction regions (SIRs) in the solar wind. Previous studies had shown that SIRs were characterized by intermediate-velocity solar wind and – in the case of compressive interactions – higher levels of scintillation. In this study we considered all cases of intermediate velocities in IPS observations from the European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) radar facility made at low- and mid-heliographic latitudes between 1994 and 2003. After dismissing intermediate-velocity observations which were associated with solar-wind transients (such as coronal mass ejections) we found that the remaining cases of intermediate velocities lay above coronal structures where stream interaction would be expected. An improved ballistic mapping method (compared to that used in earlier EISCAT studies of interaction regions) was used to identify the regions of raypath in IPS observations which might be expected to include interaction regions and to project these regions out to the distances of in-situ observations. The early stages of developing compression regions, consistent with their development on the leading edges of compressive stream interaction regions, were clearly detected as close to the Sun as 30 R ⊙, and further ballistic projection out to the distances of in-situ observations clearly associated these developing structures with density and velocity features characteristic of developed interaction regions in in-situ data in the cases when such data were available. The same approach was applied to study non-compressive interaction regions (shear layers) between solar-wind streams of different velocities where the stream interface lay at near-constant latitude and the results compared with those from compressive interaction regions. The results confirm that intermediate velocities seen in IPS observations above stream boundaries may arise from either detection of intermediate-velocity flow in compression regions, or from non-compressive shear layers. The variation in velocity about the mean determined from IPS measurements (representing the spread in velocity across that part of the raypath associated with the interaction region in the analysis) was comparable in compressive and non-compressive regions – a potentially interesting result which may contain important information on the geometry of developing SIRs. It is clear from these results that compressive and non-compressive interaction regions belong to the same class of stream – stream interaction, with the dominant mode determined by the latitudinal gradient of the stream interface. Finally, we discuss the results from this survey in the light of new data from the Heliospheric Imagers (HI) on the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft and other instruments, and suggest possible directions for further work.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bame, S.J., McComas, D.J., Barraclough, B.L., Phillips, J.L., Sofaly, K.J., Chavez, J.C., Goldstein, B.E., Sakurai, R.K.: 1992, The Ulysses solar wind plasma experiment. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 92(2), 237.
Biesecker, D.A., Thompson, B.J., Gibson, S.E., Alexander, D., Fludra, A., Gopalswamy, N., Hoeksema, J.T., Lecinski, A., Strachan, L.: 1999, Synoptic Sun during the first whole Sun month campaign: August 10 to September 8, 1996. J. Geophys. Res. 104(A5), 9679.
Bisi, M.M.: 2006, Interplanetary scintillation studies of the large-scale structure of the solar wind. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Bisi, M.M., Breen, A.R., Habbal, S.R., Fallows, R.A.: 2004, Large-scale structure of the fast solar wind during the last solar minimum from EISCAT IPS measurements (oral presentation). In: “Auld Reekie” MIST/UKSP Joint Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Bisi, M.M., Breen, A.R., Fallows, R.A., Thomasson, P., Jones, R.A., Wannberg, G.: 2005, Combined EISCAT/ESR/MERLIN interplanetary scintillation observations of the solar wind. In: ESA SP-592: Solar Wind 11/SOHO 16, Connecting Sun and Heliosphere 16, ESA, Noordwijk, 593.
Bisi, M.M., Fallows, R.A., Breen, A.R., Habbal, S.R., Jones, R.A.: 2007, Large-scale structure of the fast solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 112, A06101. doi:10.1029/2006JA012166.
Bisi, M.M., Jackson, B.V., Hick, P.P., Buffington, A., Odstrcil, D., Clover, J.M.: 2008, Three-dimensional reconstructions of the early November 2004 Coordinated Data Analysis Workshop geomagnetic storms: Analyses of STELab IPS speed and SMEI density data. J. Geophys. Res. 113, A00A11. doi:10.1029/2008JA013222.
Bisi, M.M., Jackson, B.V., Buffington, A., Clover, J.M., Hick, P.P., Tokumaru, M.: 2009, Low-resolution STELab IPS 3D reconstructions of the whole heliosphere interval and comparison with in-ecliptic solar wind measurements from STEREO and Wind instrumentation. Solar Phys. 256, 201. doi:10.1007/s11207-009-9350-9.
Bisi, M.M., Jackson, B.V., Fallows, R.A., Dorrian, G.D., Manoharan, P.K., Clover, J.M., Hick, P.P., Buffington, A., Breen, A.R., Tokumaru, M.: 2010, Solar wind and CME studies of the inner heliosphere using IPS data from STELab, ORT, and EISCAT. Adv. Geosci. in press.
Bourgois, G., Coles, W.A., Daigne, G., Silen, J., Turunen, T., Williams, P.J.: 1985, Measurements of the solar wind velocity with EISCAT. Astron. Astrophys. 144, 452.
Breen, A.R., Coles, W.A., Grall, R., Løvhaug, U.P., Markkanen, J., Misawa, H., Williams, P.J.S.: 1996a, EISCAT measurements of interplanetary scintillation. J. Atmos. Solar Terr. Phys. 58, 507.
Breen, A.R., Coles, W.A., Grall, R.R., Klinglesmith, M.T., Markkanen, J., Moran, P.J., Tegid, B., Williams, P.J.S.: 1996b, Eiscat measurements of the solar wind. Ann. Geophys. 14, 1235.
Breen, A.R., Moran, P.J., Varley, C.A., Williams, P.J.S., Coles, W.A., Grall, R.R., Klinglesmith, M.T., Markkanen, J.: 1997a, EISCAT measurements of interaction regions in the solar wind. Adv. Space Res. 20, 27.
Breen, A.R., Moran, P.J., Varley, C.A., Wilkinson, W.P., Williams, P.J.S.: 1997b, EISCAT measurements of the solar wind: Observations of interaction regions. Phys. Chem. Earth 22(5), 387.
Breen, A.R., Moran, P.J., Varley, C.A., Wilkinson, W.P., Williams, P.J.S., Coles, W.A., Lecinski, A., Markkanen, J.: 1998, Interplanetary scintillation observations of interaction regions in the solar wind. Ann. Geophys. 16, 1265.
Breen, A.R., Mikic, Z., Linker, J.A., Lazarus, A.J., Thompson, B.J., Biesecker, D.A., Moran, P.J., Varley, C.A., Williams, P.J.S., Lecinski, A.: 1999, Interplanetary scintillation measurements of the solar wind during whole Sun month: Comparisons with coronal and in situ observations. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 9847.
Breen, A.R., Thompson, B.J., Kojima, M., Biesecker, D.A., Canals, A., Fallows, R.A., Linker, J.A., Lazarus, A.J., Lecinski, A., Mikic, Z., Moran, P.J., Williams, P.J.S.: 2000, Measurements of the solar wind over a wide range of heliocentric distances – a comparison of results from the first three whole Sun months. J. Atmos. Solar Terr. Phys. 62, 1527.
Breen, A.R., Canals, A., Fallows, R.A., Moran, P.J., Kojima, M.: 2002a, Large-scale structure of the solar wind from interplanetary scintillation measurements during the rising phase of cycle 23. Adv. Space Res. 29, 379.
Breen, A.R., Thomasson, P., Jordan, C.A., Tappin, S.J., Fallows, R.A., Canals, A., Moran, P.J.: 2002b, Slow and fast solar wind acceleration near solar maximum. Adv. Space Res. 30, 433.
Breen, A.R., Riley, P., Lazarus, A.J., Canals, A., Fallows, R.A., Linker, J., Mikic, Z.: 2002c, The solar wind at solar maximum: comparisons of EISCAT IPS and in situ observations. Ann. Geophys. 20, 1291.
Breen, A.R., Fallows, R.A., Bisi, M.M., Thomasson, P., Jordan, C.A., Wannberg, G., Jones, R.A.: 2006, Extremely long baseline interplanetary scintillation measurements of solar wind velocity. J. Geophys. Res. 111(A10), 8104. doi:10.1029/2005JA011485.
Breen, A.R., Fallows, R.A., Bisi, M.M., Jones, R.A., Jackson, B.V., Kojima, M., Dorrian, G.D., Middleton, H.R., Thomasson, P., Wannberg, G.: 2008, The solar eruption of 2005 May 13 and its effects: long-baseline interplanetary scintillation observations of the Earth-directed coronal mass ejection. Astrophys. J. 683, L79. doi:10.1086/591520.
Canals, A.: 2002, Interplanetary scintillation studies of the solar wind during the rising phase of the solar cycle. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Coles, W.A.: 1996, A bimodal model of the solar wind speed. Astrophys. Space Sci. 243(1), 87.
Eyles, C.J., Simnett, G.M., Cooke, M.P., Jackson, B.V., Buffington, A., Hick, P.P., Waltham, N.R., King, J.M., Anderson, P.A., Holladay, P.E.: 2003, The Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI). Solar Phys. 217, 319.
Eyles, C.J., Harrison, R.A., Davis, C.J., Waltham, N.R., Shaughnessy, B.M., Mapson-Menard, H.C.A., Bewsher, D., Crothers, S.R., Davies, J.A., Simnett, G.M., Howard, R.A., Moses, J.D., Newmark, J.S., Socker, D.G., Halain, J.P., Defise, J.M., Mazy, E., Rochus, P.: 2009, The heliospheric imagers onboard the STEREO mission. Solar Phys. 254, 387. doi:10.1007/s11207-008-9299-0.
Fallows, R.A., Breen, A.R., Dorrian, G.D.: 2008, Developments in the use of EISCAT for interplanetary scintillation. Ann. Geophys. 26, 2229.
Fallows, R.A.: 2001, Studies of the solar wind throughout a solar cycle. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Forsyth, R.J., Gosling, J.T.: 2001, In: Balogh, A., Marsden, R.G., Smith, E.J. (eds.) Corotating and Transient Structures in the Heliosphere, Springer-Praxis Books in Astrophysics and Astronomy, London, 107. ISBN: 1-85233-204-2.
Gosling, J.T.: 1996, Corotating and transient solar wind flows in three dimensions. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 34, 35.
Gosling, J.T., Pizzo, V.J.: 1999, Formation and evolution of corotating interaction regions and their three dimensional structure. Space Sci. Rev. 89, 21.
Gosling, J.T., Hundhausen, A.J., Pizzo, V., Asbridge, J.R.: 1972, Compressions and rarefactions in the solar wind: Vela 3. J. Geophys. Res. 77, 5442. doi:10.1029/JA077i028p05442.
Gosling, J.T., Asbridge, J.R., Bame, S.J., Feldman, W.C.: 1978, Solar wind stream interfaces. J. Geophys. Res. 83, 1401.
Grall, R.R., Coles, W.A., Klingesmith, M.T., Breen, A.R., Williams, P.J.S., Markkanen, J., Esser, R.: 1996, Rapid acceleration of the polar solar wind. Nature 379(6564), 429.
Grall, R.R.: 1995, Remote sensing observations of the solar wind near the Sun. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Harrison, R.A., Davis, C.J., Eyles, C.J.: 2005, The STEREO heliospheric imager: how to detect CMEs in the heliosphere. Adv. Space Res. 36, 1512.
Harrison, R.A., Davis, C.J., Eyles, C.J., Bewsher, D., Crothers, S.R., Davies, J.A., Howard, R.A., Moses, D.J., Socker, D.G., Newmark, J.S., Halain, J.P., Defise, J.M., Mazy, E., Rochus, P., Webb, D.F., Simnett, G.M.: 2008, First imaging of coronal mass ejections in the heliosphere viewed from outside the Sun Earth line. Solar Phys. 247, 171. doi:10.1007/s11207-007-9083-6.
Jackson, B.V., Hick, P.P.: 2005, Three-dimensional tomography of interplanetary disturbances. In: Gary, D., Keller, C.U. (eds.) Solar and Space Weather Radiophysics: Current Status and Future Developments, Astrophys. and Space Sci. Lib. 314, Kluwer, Dordrecht, 355.
Jackson, B.V., Buffington, A., Hick, P.P., Altrock, R.C., Figueroa, S., Holladay, P.E., Johnston, J.C., Kahler, S.W., Mozer, J.B., Price, S., Radick, R.R., Sagalyn, R., Sinclair, D., Simnett, G.M., Eyles, C.J., Cooke, M.P., Tappin, S.J., Kuchar, T., Mizuno, D., Webb, D.F., Anderson, P.A., Keil, S.L., Gold, R.E., Waltham, N.R.: 2004, The Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) mission. Solar Phys. 225, 177. doi:10.1007/s11207-004-2766-3.
Jones, R.A.: 2007, Interplanetary scintillation observations of the inner solar wind. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Jones, R.A., Breen, A.R., Fallows, R.A., Canals, A., Bisi, M.M., Lawrence, G.: 2007, Interaction between coronal mass ejections and the solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 112(A11), 8107. doi:10.1029/2006JA011875.
Kaiser, M.L.: 2005, The STEREO mission: An overview. Adv. Space Res. 36, 1483. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2004.12.066.
Kaiser, M.L., Kucera, T.A., Davila, J.M., St. Cyr, O.C., Guhathakurta, M., Christian, E.: 2008, The STEREO mission: An introduction. Space Sci. Rev. 136, 5. doi:10.1007/s11214-007-9277-0.
Klinglesmith, M.: 1997, The polar solar wind from 2.5 to 40 solar radii: Results of intensity scintillation measurements. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Kojima, M., Kakinuma, T.: 1987, Solar cycle evolution of solar wind speed structure between 1973 and 1985 observed with the interplanetary scintillation method. J. Geophys. Res. 92, 7269.
Massey, W.: 1998, Measuring intensity scintillations at the very long baseline array (VLBA) to probe the solar wind. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, San Diego.
Moran, P.J.: 1998, Interplanetary scintillation measurements of the solar wind using EISCAT. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Moran, P.J., Breen, A.R., Varley, C.A., Williams, P.J.S., Wilkinson, W.P., Markkanen, J.: 1998, Measurements of the direction of the solar wind using interplanetary scintillation. Ann. Geophys. 16, 1259.
Neupert, W.M., Pizzo, V.: 1974, Solar coronal holes as sources of recurrent geomagnetic disturbances. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 6, 292.
Ogilvie, K.W., Desch, M.D.: 1997, The wind spacecraft and its early scientific results. Adv. Space Res. 20, 559.
Ogilvie, K.W., Chornay, D.J., Fritzenreiter, R.J., Hunsaker, F., Keller, J., Lobell, J., Miller, G., Scudder, J.D., Sittler, E.C. Jr., Torbert, R.B., Bodet, D., Needell, G., Lazarus, A.J., Steinberg, J.T., Tappan, J.H., Mavretic, A., Gergin, E.: 1995, SWE, a comprehensive plasma instrument for the wind spacecraft. Space Sci. Rev. 71, 55.
Rao, A.P., Ananthakrishnan, S., Balasubramanian, V., Oberoi, D., Coles, W.A.: 1995, Very long baseline IPS observations of the solar wind speed in the fast polar streams. In: Winterhalter, D., Gosling, J.T., Habbal, S.R., Kurth, W.S., Neugebauer, M. (eds.) Solar Wind Eight, American Institute of Physics, New York, 94. ISBN: 1-56396-551-8.
Rouillard, A.P., Davies, J.A., Forsyth, R.J., Rees, A., Davis, C.J., Harrison, R.A., Lockwood, M., Bewsher, D., Crothers, S.R., Eyles, C.J., Hapgood, M., Perry, C.H.: 2008, First imaging of corotating interaction regions using the STEREO spacecraft. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 10110. doi:10.1029/2008GL033767.
Snyder, C.W., Neugebauer, M.: 1965, Interplanetary solar-wind measurements by Mariner II. In: Chang, C.C., Huang, S.S. (eds.) ASSL, Plasma Space Science 3, Reidel, Dordrecht, 67.
Wenzel, F.P., Marsden, R.G., Page, D.E., Smith, E.J.: 1992, The ULYSSES mission. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. 92, 207.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
About this article
Cite this article
Bisi, M.M., Fallows, R.A., Breen, A.R. et al. Interplanetary Scintillation Observations of Stream Interaction Regions in the Solar Wind. Sol Phys 261, 149–172 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-009-9471-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-009-9471-1