REPRODUCTION OF THE OBSERVED TWO-COMPONENT MAGNETIC HELICITY IN SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE BY A SUPERPOSITION OF PARALLEL AND OBLIQUE ALFVEN WAVES

Journal Article · Tue Apr 10 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/749/1/86· OSTI ID:22020452

Jiansen, He; Chuanyi, Tu ^[1]; Marsch, Eckart ^[2]

---

1. Department of Geophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
2. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Sonnensystemforschung, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau (Germany)

The angular distribution of the normalized reduced magnetic helicity density ({sigma} r{sub m}) in solar wind turbulence reveals two components of distinct polarity in different angle ranges. This kind of two-component {sigma}{sup r}{sub m} may indicate the possible wave modes and power spectral densities (PSDs) of the turbulent fluctuations. Here we model the measured angular distribution of {sigma}{sup r}{sub m} by assuming a PSD distribution for Alfven fluctuations in wavevector space, and then fit the model results to the observations by adjusting the pattern of the PSD distribution. It is found that the two-component form of the PSD, which has a major and minor component close to k and k{sub ||}, respectively, seems to be responsible for the observed two-component {sigma}{sup r}{sub m}. On the other hand, both an isotropic PSD and a PSD with only a single component bending toward k fail to reproduce the observations. Moreover, it is shown that the effect of gradual balance between outward and inward wave-energy fluxes with decreasing spatial scale needs to be considered in order to reproduce the observed diminishing of |{sigma}{sup r}{sub m}| at shorter scales. Therefore, we suggest that the observed two-component {sigma}{sup r}{sub m} in the solar wind turbulence may be due to a superposition of Alfven waves with quasi-perpendicular (major part) and quasi-parallel (minor part) propagation. The waves seem to become gradually balanced toward shorter scales.

• OSTI ID: 22020452
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 749; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
FLUCTUATIONS
HELICITY
SOLAR WIND
SPECTRAL DENSITY
SUN
TURBULENCE