Abstract
The properties of the heliospheric magnetic field and the solar wind were substantially different in the unusual solar minimum between Cycles 23 and 24: the magnetic-field strength was substantially reduced, as were the flow properties of the solar wind, such as the mass flux. Explanations for these changes are offered that do not require any substantial reconsideration of the general understandings of the behavior of the heliospheric magnetic field and the solar wind that were developed in the minimum of Cycle 22 – 23. Solar-wind composition data are used to demonstrate that there are two distinct regions of solar wind: solar wind likely to originate from the stalk of the streamer belt (the highly elongated loops that underlie the heliospheric current sheet), and solar wind from outside this region. The region outside the streamer-stalk region is noticeably larger in the minimum of Cycle 23 – 24; however, the increased area can account for the reduction in the heliospheric magnetic-field strength in this minimum. Thus, the total magnetic flux contained in this region is the same in the two minima. Various correlations among the solar-wind mass flux and coronal electron temperature inferred from solar-wind charge states were developed for the Cycle 22 – 23 solar minimum. The data for the minimum of Cycle 23 – 24 suggest that the correlations still hold, and thus the basic acceleration mechanism is unchanged in this minimum.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abramenko, V., Yurchyshyn, V., Linker, J., Mikić, Z., Luhmann, J., Lee, C.O.: 2010, Low-latitude coronal holes at the minimum of the 23rd solar cycle. Astrophys. J. 712, 813 – 818. doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/712/2/813 .
Axford, W.I., McKenzie, J.F.: 1997, The solar wind. In: Jokipii, J.R., Sonett, C.P., Giampapa, M.S. (eds.) Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere, U. Arizona, Tucson, 31.
Balogh, A., Smith, E.J.: 2001, The heliospheric magnetic field at solar maximum: Ulysses observations. Space Sci. Rev. 97, 147 – 160. doi: 10.1023/A:1011854901760 .
Cranmer, S.R., van Ballegooijen, A.A., Edgar, R.J.: 2007, Self-consistent coronal heating and solar wind acceleration from anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 171, 520 – 551. doi: 10.1086/518001 .
Crooker, N.U., Gosling, J.T., Kahler, S.W.: 2002, Reducing heliospheric magnetic flux from coronal mass ejections without disconnection. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 1028. doi: 10.1029/2001JA000236 .
Crooker, N.U., Burton, M.E., Siscoe, G.L., Kahler, S.W., Gosling, J.T., Smith, E.J.: 1996, Solar wind streamer belt structure. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 24331 – 24342. doi: 10.1029/96JA02412 .
de Toma, G.: 2010, Evolution of coronal holes and implications for high-speed solar wind during the minimum between Cycles 23 and 24. Solar Phys., 213–238. doi: 10.1007/s11207-010-9677-2 .
Feldman, U., Landi, E., Schwadron, N.A.: 2005, On the sources of fast and slow solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 110, 7109. doi: 10.1029/2004JA010918 .
Feldman, U., Widing, K.G., Warren, H.P.: 1999, Morphology of the quiet solar upper atmosphere in the 4×104<T e<1.4×106 K temperature regime. Astrophys. J. 522, 1133 – 1147. doi: 10.1086/307682 .
Fisk, L.A.: 1996, Motion of the footpoints of heliospheric magnetic field lines at the Sun: Implications for recurrent energetic particle events at high heliographic latitudes. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 15547 – 15554. doi: 10.1029/96JA01005 .
Fisk, L.A.: 2003, Acceleration of the solar wind as a result of the reconnection of open magnetic flux with coronal loops. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 1157. doi: 10.1029/2002JA009284 .
Fisk, L.A.: 2005, The open magnetic flux of the Sun. I. Transport by reconnections with coronal loops. Astrophys. J. 626, 563 – 573. doi: 10.1086/429957 .
Fisk, L.A., Schwadron, N.A.: 2001, The behavior of the open magnetic field of the Sun. Astrophys. J. 560, 425 – 438. doi: 10.1086/322503 .
Fisk, L.A., Zhao, L.: 2009, The heliospheric magnetic field and the solar wind during the solar cycle. In: Gopalswamy, N., Webb, D.F. (eds.) Universal Heliospheric Processes, IAU Symp. 257, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 109 – 120. doi: 10.1017/S1743921309029160 .
Fisk, L.A., Zurbuchen, T.H.: 2006, Distribution and properties of open magnetic flux outside of coronal holes. J. Geophys. Res. 111, 9115. doi: 10.1029/2005JA011575 .
Fisk, L.A., Schwadron, N.A., Zurbuchen, T.H.: 1998, On the slow solar wind. Space Sci. Rev. 86, 51 – 60. doi: 10.1023/A:1005015527146 .
Fisk, L.A., Schwadron, N.A., Zurbuchen, T.H.: 1999a, Acceleration of the fast solar wind by the emergence of new magnetic flux. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 19765 – 19772. doi: 10.1029/1999JA900256 .
Fisk, L.A., Zurbuchen, T.H., Schwadron, N.A.: 1999b, On the coronal magnetic field: Consequences of large-scale motions. Astrophys. J. 521, 868 – 877. doi: 10.1086/307556 .
Geiss, J., Gloeckler, G., von Steiger, R.: 1995, Origin of the solar wind from composition data. Space Sci. Rev. 72, 49 – 60. doi: 10.1007/BF00768753 .
Gloeckler, G., Zurbuchen, T.H., Geiss, J.: 2003, Implications of the observed anticorrelation between solar wind speed and coronal electron temperature. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 1158. doi: 10.1029/2002JA009286 .
Gosling, J.T., Skoug, R.M.: 2002, On the origin of radial magnetic fields in the heliosphere. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 1327. doi: 10.1029/2002JA009434 .
Gosling, J.T., Birn, J., Hesse, M.: 1995, Three-dimensional magnetic reconnection and the magnetic topology of coronal mass ejection events. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 869 – 872. doi: 10.1029/95GL00270 .
Hansteen, V.H., Leer, E.: 1995, Coronal heating, densities, and temperatures and solar wind acceleration. J. Geophys. Res. 100, 21577 – 21594. doi: 10.1029/95JA02300 .
Isenberg, P.A.: 1991, Interstellar pickup protons at pressure-balanced structures. J. Geophys. Res. 96, 155 – 159. doi: 10.1029/90JA01994 .
Jones, G.H., Balogh, A.: 2003, The global heliospheric magnetic field polarity distribution as seen at Ulysses. Ann. Geophys. 21, 1377 – 1382.
Kirk, M.S., Pesnell, W.D., Young, C.A., Hess Webber, S.A.: 2009, Automated detection of EUV polar coronal holes during Solar Cycle 23. Solar Phys. 257, 99 – 112. doi: 10.1007/s11207-009-9369-y .
Ko, Y., Fisk, L.A., Geiss, J., Gloeckler, G., Guhathakurta, M.: 1997, An empirical study of the electron temperature and heavy ion velocities in the south polar coronal hole. Solar Phys. 171, 345 – 361.
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 – 7279. doi: 10.1029/JA092iA07p07269 .
Lin, R.P., Kahler, S.W.: 1992, Interplanetary magnetic field connection to the sun during electron heat flux dropouts in the solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 97, 8203 – 8209. doi: 10.1029/92JA00230 .
Marsch, E.: 1995, The microscopic state of the solar wind: Links between composition, velocity distributions, waves and turbulence. In: Winterhalter, D., Gosling, J.T., Habbal, S.R., Hurth, W.S., Neugebauer, M. (eds.) Solar Wind Eight. Am. Inst. Phys., Woodbury, 35.
McComas, D.J., Ebert, R.W., Elliott, H.A., Goldstein, B.E., Gosling, J.T., Schwadron, N.A., Skoug, R.M.: 2008, Weaker solar wind from the polar coronal holes and the whole Sun. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 18103. doi: 10.1029/2008GL034896 .
Miyake, W., Mukai, T., Oyama, K., Terasawa, T., Hirao, K.: 1989, Thin equatorial low-speed region in the solar wind observed during the recent solar minimum. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 15359 – 15365. doi: 10.1029/JA094iA11p15359 .
Neugebauer, M., Forsyth, R.J., Galvin, A.B., Harvey, K.L., Hoeksema, J.T., Lazarus, A.J., Lepping, R.P., Linker, J.A., Mikic, Z., Steinberg, J.T., von Steiger, R., Wang, Y., Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.F.: 1998, Spatial structure of the solar wind and comparisons with solar data and models. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 14587 – 14600. doi: 10.1029/98JA00798 .
Owens, M.J., Crooker, N.U., Schwadron, N.A., Horbury, T.S., Yashiro, S., Xie, H., St. Cyr, O.C., Gopalswamy, N.: 2008, Conservation of open solar magnetic flux and the floor in the heliospheric magnetic field. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 20108. doi: 10.1029/2008GL035813 .
Pagel, C., Crooker, N.U., Larson, D.E.: 2005, Assessing electron heat flux dropouts as signatures of magnetic field line disconnection from the Sun. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, 14105. doi: 10.1029/2005GL023043 .
Parker, E.N.: 1958, Dynamics of the interplanetary gas and magnetic fields. Astrophys. J. 128, 664. doi: 10.1086/146579 .
Phillips, J.L., Bame, S.J., Barnes, A., Barraclough, B.L., Feldman, W.C., Goldstein, B.E., Gosling, J.T., Hoogeveen, G.W., McComas, D.J., Neugebauer, M., Suess, S.T.: 1995, Ulysses solar wind plasma observations from pole to pole. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 3301 – 3304. doi: 10.1029/95GL03094 .
Richardson, J.D., Paularena, K.I.: 1997, Streamer belt structure at solar minima. Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 1435 – 1438. doi: 10.1029/97GL01251 .
Schwadron, N.A., McComas, D.J.: 2003, Solar wind scaling law. Astrophys. J. 599, 1395 – 1403. doi: 10.1086/379541 .
Schwadron, N.A., McComas, D.J.: 2008, The solar wind power from magnetic flux. Astrophys. J. Lett. 686, L33 – L36. doi: 10.1086/592877 .
Schwadron, N.A., McComas, D.J., DeForest, C.: 2006, Relationship between solar wind and coronal heating: Scaling laws from solar X-Rays. Astrophys. J. 642, 1173 – 1176. doi: 10.1086/501066 .
Smith, E.J., Balogh, A.: 2008, Decrease in heliospheric magnetic flux in this solar minimum: Recent Ulysses magnetic field observations. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, 22103. doi: 10.1029/2008GL035345 .
Smith, E.J., Balogh, A., Lepping, R.P., Neugebauer, M., Phillips, J., Tsurutani, B.T.: 1995, ULYSSES observations of latitude gradients in the heliospheric magnetic field. Adv. Space Res. 16, 165 – 170. doi: 10.1016/0273-1177(95)00328-C .
Svalgaard, L., Cliver, E.W.: 2007, A floor in the solar wind magnetic field. Astrophys. J. Lett. 661, L203 – L206. doi: 10.1086/518786 .
Tokumaru, M., Kojima, M., Fujiki, K., Hayashi, K.: 2009, Non-dipolar solar wind structure observed in the Cycle 23/24 minimum. Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, 9101. doi: 10.1029/2009GL037461 .
von Steiger, R., Schwadron, N.A., Fisk, L.A., Geiss, J., Gloeckler, G., Hefti, S., Wilken, B., Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.F., Zurbuchen, T.H.: 2000, Composition of quasi-stationary solar wind flows from Ulysses/Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer. J. Geophys. Res. 105, 27217 – 27238. doi: 10.1029/1999JA000358 .
Zhao, L., Fisk, L.: 2010, Comparison of two solar minima: Narrower streamer stalk region and conserved open magnetic flux in the region outside of streamer stalks. In: Cranmer, S.R., Hoeksema, J.T., Kohl, J.L. (eds.) CS-428, Astron. Soc. Pacific, San Francisco, 229.
Zhao, L., Zurbuchen, T.H., Fisk, L.A.: 2009, Global distribution of the solar wind during Solar Cycle 23: ACE observations. Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, 14104. doi: 10.1029/2009GL039181 .
Zurbuchen, T.H., Hefti, S., Fisk, L.A., Gloeckler, G., Schwadron, N.A.: 2000, Magnetic structure of the slow solar wind: Constraints from composition data. J. Geophys. Res. 105, 18327 – 18336. doi: 10.1029/1999JA000427 .
Zurbuchen, T.H., Fisk, L.A., Gloeckler, G., von Steiger, R.: 2002, The solar wind composition throughout the solar cycle: A continuum of dynamic states. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29(9), 090000. doi: 10.1029/2001GL013946 .
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The Sun–Earth Connection near Solar Minimum
Guest Editors: M.M. Bisi, B.A. Emery, and B.J. Thompson
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
Zhao, L., Fisk, L. Understanding the Behavior of the Heliospheric Magnetic Field and the Solar Wind During the Unusual Solar Minimum Between Cycles 23 and 24. Sol Phys 274, 379–397 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-011-9840-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-011-9840-4