Abstract
We study Alfvén wave fluctuations in solar-wind high-speed streams (HSSs) at high heliolatitudes during the last two solar-cycle minima (SCM). Solar-wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) measured by Ulysses during four 50-day intervals in 1994, 1995, 2007, and 2008 were analyzed using wavelet and Fourier analyses, cross-correlation and kurtosis techniques. Intervals during 1994 and 1995 (2007 and 2008) correspond to the Ulysses polar passes through the southern and northern solar hemispheres, respectively, during the minimum between Cycles 22 and 23 or SCM22−23 (the minimum between Cycles 23 and 24 or SCM23−24). The solar-wind plasma density [\(N_{\mathrm{p}}\)], IMF magnitude [\(B_{ \mathrm{0}}\)], and IMF-component variances are found to be lower during SCM23−24 than during SCM22−23 by ≈ 20 – 30%. The cross-correlation between the plasma velocity and IMF vector components, an indicative of Alfvénicity, is smaller during SCM23−24 than during SCM22−23. The Alfvén wave periodicity exhibits a large range, from \(\approx 8\) hours to 10 days, with peak occurrences near 1 – 5 days during both minima. The statistical kurtosis analysis shows that the IMF distributions are mostly sub-Gaussian. Further, the Fourier power law analysis reveals a higher spectral power of transverse IMF components \(B_{\mathrm{t}}\) and \(B_{\mathrm{n}}\) than the radial field-aligned component \(B_{\mathrm{r}}\). The power spectrum shows a spectral break near 10−4 Hz, with its high-frequency portion following a −1.7 power law dependence (Kolmogorov spectrum), while the low-frequency portion shows an \(\approx -1.0\) power law index dependence. This low-frequency index is slightly higher during SCM22−23 (−0.65 to −0.87) than during SCM23−24 (−0.49 to −0.78). We conclude that while the Alfvénicity of the high-latitude HSSs does not vary substantially between the two minima, the amplitude of the Alfvén wave fluctuations is reduced during SCM23−24 compared to SCM22−23.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The Ulysses data analyzed in this work are collected from NASA’s COHOWeb (omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/coho/).
References
Alfvén, H.: 1942, Existence of electromagnetic-hydrodynamic waves. Nature 150, 405. DOI.
Balogh, A., Erdõs, G.: 2013, The heliospheric magnetic field. Space Sci. Rev. 176, 177. DOI.
Balogh, A., Beek, T.J., Forsyth, R.J., Hedgecock, P.C., Marquedant, R.J., Smith, E.J., Southwood, D.J., Tsurutani, B.T.: 1992, The magnetic field investigation on the Ulysses mission: instrumentation and preliminary scientific results. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 92, 221.
Balogh, A., Forsyth, R.J., Lucek, E.A., Horbury, T.S., Smith, E.J.: 1999, Heliospheric magnetic field polarity inversions at high heliographic latitudes. Geophys. Res. Lett. 26, 631. DOI.
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. Ser. 92, 227.
Belcher, J.W., Davis Jr., L.: 1971, Large-amplitude Alfvén waves in the interplanetary medium, 2. J. Geophys. Res. 76, 3534. DOI.
Belcher, J.W., Davis Jr., L., Smith, E.J.: 1969, Large-amplitude Alfvén waves in the interplanetary medium: Mariner 5. J. Geophys. Res. 74, 2302. DOI.
Bittencourt, J.A.: 2010, Fundamentals of Plasma Physics, Springer, Berlin, 679. ISBN: 9781441919304.
Bolzan, M.J.A., Echer, E.: 2014, A multifractal approach applied to the magnetic field turbulence in Jupiter’s magnetosheath. Planet. Space Sci. 91, 77.
Bracewell, R.N.: 2014, The Fourier Transform and Its Applications, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math, New York, USA. ISBN13 978-0073039381.
Bruno, R., Bavassano, B., Villante, U.: 1985, Evidence for long period Alfvén waves in the inner solar system. J. Geophys. Res. 90, 4373. DOI.
Bruno, R., Carbone, V.: 2013, The solar wind as a turbulence laboratory. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 10, 2. DOI.
Bruno, R., Carbone, V., Vörös, Z., D’Amicis, R., Bavassano, B., Cattaneo, M.B., Mura, A., Milillo, A., Orsini, S., Veltri, P., Sorriso-Valvo, L., Zhang, T., Biernat, H., Rucker, H., Baumjohann, W., Jankovičová, D., Kovács, P.: 2009, Coordinated study on solar wind turbulence during the Venus-express, ACE and Ulysses alignment of August 2007. Earth Moon Planets 104, 101. DOI.
Chandran, B.D.G.: 2018, Parametric instability, inverse cascade and the 1/f range of solar-wind turbulence. J. Plasma Phys. 84, 1. DOI.
Chen, C.H.K., Bale, S.D., Bonnell, J.W., Borovikov, D., Bowen, T.A., Burgess, D., Case, A.W., Chandran, B.D.G., Dudok de Wit, T., Goetz, K., Harvey, P.R., Kasper, J.C., Klein, K.G., Korreck, K.E., Larson, D., Livi, R., MacDowall, R.J., Malaspina, D.M., Mallet, A., McManus, M.D., Moncuquet, M., Pulupa, M., Stevens, M.L., Whittlesey, P.: 2020, The evolution and role of solar wind turbulence in the inner heliosphere. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 246, 53. DOI.
Cranmer, S.R.: 2009, Coronal holes. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 6, 3. DOI.
D’Amicis, R., Matteini, L., Bruno, R.: 2019, On the slow solar wind with high Alfvénicity: from composition and microphysics to spectral properties. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 483, 4665. DOI.
Davis, J.C.: 2002, Statistics and Data Analysis in Geoglogy, Wiley, New York. ISBN 9780471172758.
de Toma, G.: 2012, Polar magnetic fields and coronal holes during the recent solar minima. In: Proceedings IAU Symp. No. 286, 1.
Denton, M.H., Borovsky, J.E.: 2012, Magnetosphere response to high-speed solar wind streams: a comparison of weak and strong driving and the importance of extended periods of fast solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 117, A00L05. DOI.
Dunzlaff, P., Heber, B., Kopp, A., Rother, O., Muller-Mellin, R., Klassen, A., Gomez-Herrero, R., Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.: 2008, Observations of recurrent cosmic ray decreases during solar cycles 22 and 23. Ann. Geophys. 26, 3127. DOI.
Ebert, R.W., McComas, D.J., Elliott, H.A., Forsyth, R.J., Gosling, J.T.: 2009, Bulk properties of the slow and fast solar wind and interplanetary coronal mass ejections measured by Ulysses: three polar orbits of observations. J. Geophys. Res. 114, A01109. DOI.
Echer, E., Bolzan, M..J.A.: 2016, A comparative study of solar wind and foreshock turbulence near Uranus orbit. Planet. Space Sci. 120, 70. DOI.
Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A., Franco, A.M.S.: 2020, Statistical analysis of solar wind parameter variation with heliospheric distance: Ulysses observations in the ecliptic plane. Adv. Space Res. 65, 2846. DOI.
Franco, A.M.S., Franz, M., Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A.: 2020, Wavelet analysis of low frequency plasma oscillations in the magnetosheath of Mars. Adv. Space Res. 65, 2090. DOI.
Franco, A.M.S., Hajra, R., Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A.: 2021, Seasonal features of geomagnetic activity: a study on the solar activity dependence. Ann. Geophys. 39, 929. DOI.
Franco, A.M.S., Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A., Franz, M.: 2022, Study of fluctuations in the Martian magnetosheath using a kurtosis technique: Mars Express observations. Earth Planet. Phys. 6, 28. DOI.
Gloeckler, G., Allegrini, F., Elliott, H.A., McComas, D.J., Schwadron, N.A., Geiss, J., von Steiger, R., Jones, G.H.: 2004, Cometary ions trapped in a coronal mass ejection. Astrophys. J. 604, L121. DOI.
Gosling, J.T., Bame, S.J., McComas, D.J., Phillips, J.L., Pizzo, V.J., Goldstein, B.E., Neugebauer, M.: 1993, Latitudinal variation of solar wind corotating stream interaction regions: Ulysses. Geophys. Res. Lett. 20, 2789. DOI.
Hajra, R.: 2021, Weakest solar cycle of the space age: a study on solar wind–magnetosphere energy coupling and geomagnetic activity. Solar Phys. 296, 33. DOI.
Hajra, R., Franco, A.M.S., Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A.: 2021, Long-term variations of the geomagnetic activity: a comparison between the strong and weak solar activity cycles and implications for the space climate. J. Geophys. Res. 126, e2020JA028695. DOI.
Hathaway, D.H.: 2010, The solar cycle. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 7, 1. DOI.
Jimenez, J.: 1998, Turbulent velocity fluctuations need not be Gaussian. J. Fluid Mech. 376, 139. DOI.
Jones, G.H., Balogh, A., Horbury, T.S.: 2000, Identification of comet Hyakutake’s extremely long ion tail from magnetic field signatures. Nature 404, 574. DOI.
Krieger, A.S., Timothy, A.F., Roelof, E.C.: 1973, A coronal hole and its identification as the source of a high velocity solar wind stream. Solar Phys. 29, 505. DOI.
McComas, D.J., Barraclough, B.L., Funsten, H.O., Gosling, J.T., Santiago-Muñoz, E., Skoug, R.M., Goldstein, B.E., Neugebauer, M., Riley, P., Balogh, A.: 2000, Solar wind observations over Ulysses’ first full polar orbit. J. Geophys. Res. 105, 10419. DOI.
McComas, D.J., Elliott, H.A., Gosling, J.T., Reisenfeld, D.B., Skoug, R.M., Goldstein, B.E., Neugebauer, M., Balogh, A.: 2002, Ulysses’ second fast-latitude scan: complexity near solar maximum and the reformation of polar coronal holes. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, 4. DOI.
McComas, D.J., Elliott, H.A., Schwadron, N.A., Gosling, J.T., Skoug, R.M., Goldstein, B.E.: 2003, The three-dimensional solar wind around solar maximum. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30, 1517. DOI.
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, L18103. DOI.
Mouri, H., Takaoka, M., Hori, A., Kawashima, Y.: 2002, Probability density function of turbulent velocity fluctuations. Phys. Rev. E 65, 056304. DOI.
Neugebauer, M.: 1999, The three-dimensional solar wind at solar activity minimum. Rev. Geophys. 37, 107. DOI.
Neugebauer, M., Liewer, P.C., Smith, E.J., Skoug, R.M., Zurbuchen, T.H.: 2002, Sources of the solar wind at solar activity maximum. J. Geophys. Res. 107, SSH 13. DOI.
Neugebauer, M., Gloeckler, G., Gosling, J.T., Rees, A., Skoug, R., Goldstein, B.E., Armstrong, T.P., Combi, M.R., Mäkinen, T., McComas, D.J., von Steiger, R., Zurbuchen, T.H., Smith, E.J., Geiss, J., Lanzerotti, L.J.: 2007, Encounter of the Ulysses spacecraft with the ion tail of comet McNaught. Astrophys. J. 604, L121. DOI.
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. DOI.
Priest, E.R.: 1995, In: Kivelson, M.G., Russell, C.R. (eds.) The Sun and Its Magnetohydrodynamics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 58.
Reville, V., Tenerani, A., Velli, M.: 2018, Parametric decay and the origin of the low-frequency Alfvenic spectrum of the solar wind. Astrophys. J. 866, 38. DOI.
Richardson, I.G.: 2014, Identification of interplanetary coronal mass ejections at Ulysses using multiple solar wind signatures. Solar Phys. 289, 3843. DOI.
Roberts, D.A.: 2007, The evolution of the spectrum of velocity fluctuations in the solar wind. Eos Trans. AGU 88, SH31B.
Schrijver, C.J., Liu, Y.: 2008, The global solar magnetic field through a full sunspot cycle: observations and model results. Solar Phys. 252, 19. DOI.
Schwenn, R.: 2006, Space weather the solar perspective. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 3, 2. DOI.
Sheeley, N.R., Harvey, J.W., Feldman, W.C.: 1976, Coronal holes, solar wind streams, and recurrent geomagnetic disturbances: 1973 – 1976. Solar Phys. 49, 271. DOI.
Shoda, M., Yokoyama, T., Suzuki, T.K.: 2018, Frequency-dependent Alfven-wave propagation in the solar wind onset and suppresion of parametric decay instability. Astrophys. J. 860, 17. DOI.
Smith, E.J., Balogh, A.: 2008, Decrease in heliospheric magnetic flux in this solar minimum: recent Ulysses magnetic field observations. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L22103. DOI.
Smith, E.J., Wenzel, K.P., Page, D.E.: 1992, Ulysses at Jupiter: an overview of the encounter science. Science 257, 1503. DOI.
Smith, E.J., Wolfe, J.H.: 1976, Observations of interaction regions and corotating shocks between one and five AU: Pioneers 10 and 11. Geophys. Res. Lett. 3, 137. DOI.
Smith, E.J., Balogh, A., Neugebauer, M., McComas, D.: 1995, Ulysses observations of Alfvén waves in the southern and northern solar hemispheres. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 3381. DOI.
Smith, E.J., Balogh, A., Forsyth, R.J., McComas, D.J.: 2001, Ulysses in the south polar cap at solar maximum: heliospheric magnetic field. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 4159. DOI.
Souza, A.M., Echer, E., Bolzan, M.J.A., Hajra, R.: 2016, A study on the main periodicities in interplanetary magnetic field Bz component and geomagnetic AE index during HILDCAA events using wavelet analysis. J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys. 149, 81. DOI.
Torrence, C., Compo, G.P.: 1998, A practical guide to wavelet analysis. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 79, 61.
Tsurutani, B.T., Echer, E., Gonzalez, W.D.: 2011, The solar and interplanetary causes of the recent minimum in geomagnetic activity(MGA23): a combination of midlatitude coronal holes, low IMF Bz variances, low solar wind speeds and low solar magnetic fields. Ann. Geophys. 29, 839. DOI.
Tsurutani, B.T., Ho, C.M., Arballo, J.K., Smith, E.J., Goldstein, B.E., Neugebauer, M., Balogh, A., Feldman, W.C.: 1996, Interplanetary discontinuities and Alfvén waves at high heliographic latitudes: Ulysses. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 11027. DOI.
Tulasi, R.S., Liu, C.H., Su, S.-Y.: 2010, Periodic solar wind forcing due to recurrent coronal holes during 1996 – 2009 and its impact on Earth’s geomagnetic and ionospheric properties during the extreme solar minimum. J. Geophys. Res. 115, A12340. DOI.
Verma, V.K., Joshi, G.C.: 1994, On the occurrence rate of high speed solar wind events. Solar Phys. 155, 401. DOI.
Virtanen, I.I., Mursula, K.: 2010, Asymmetry of solar polar fields and the southward shift of HCS observed by Ulysses. J. Geophys. Res. 115, A09110. DOI.
Wang, Y.M.: 2020, Small scale emergence, coronal hole heatin and flux expansion a hybrid solar wind model. Astrophys. J. 904, 199. DOI.
Wang, Y.-M., Sheeley, N.R. Jr.: 2006, Sources of the solar wind at Ulysses during 1990 – 2006. Astrophys. J. 653, 708. DOI.
Zhang, M., McKibben, R.B., Lopate, C., Jokipii, J.R., Giacalone, J., Kallenrode, M.-B., Rassoul, H.K.: 2003, Ulysses observations of solar energetic particles from the 14 July 2000 event at high heliographic latitudes. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 1154. DOI.
Acknowledgments
E. Echer would like to thank Brazilian agencies for research grants: CNPq (contract no. PQ-302583/2015-7, PQ-301883/2019-0) and FAPESP (2018/21657-1). The work of R. Hajra is funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB, grant no. SB/S2/RJN-080/2018), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India through the Ramanujan Fellowship. The work of A. M. S. Franco is funded by the Brazilian CNPq agency (project no. PQ-300969/2020-1, PQ-301542/2021-0, PQ-300160/2021-6). The work of M. J. A. Bolzan was supported by CNPq agency (contract no. PQ-302330/2015-1, PQ-305692/2018-6) and FAPEG agency (contract no. 2012.1026.7000905). We thank the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Brazilian Space Agency as well.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
EE conceived and designed the analysis, and drafted the paper. Analyses were partially performed by EE, AMSF, ECJ and MJAB. RH contributed in interpreting the results. All authors took part in preparing the draft, and approved the final version of the paper.
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Echer, E., Franco, A.M.d.S., da Costa Junior, E. et al. Solar-Wind High-Speed Stream (HSS) Alfvén Wave Fluctuations at High Heliospheric Latitudes: Ulysses Observations During Two Solar-Cycle Minima. Sol Phys 297, 143 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-022-02070-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-022-02070-w