Spectral Slope Variation at Proton Scales from Fast to Slow Solar Wind

TL;DR

This study examines how the spectral slope of magnetic field fluctuations at proton scales varies from fast to slow solar wind, revealing a correlation with fluctuation power and wind speed.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between spectral slope variability and solar wind speed, highlighting the influence of energy transfer rates on dissipation mechanisms.

Findings

Spectral slope varies between -3.75 and -1.75 across different wind speeds.

Steeper slopes are associated with higher wind speeds and fluctuation power.

The spectral index depends on the fluctuation power within the inertial range.

Abstract

We investigated the behavior of the spectral slope of interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations at proton scales for selected high resolution time intervals from WIND and MESSENGER spacecraft at $1$ AU and $0.56$ AU, respectively. The analysis was performed within the profile of high speed streams, moving from fast to slow wind regions. The spectral slope showed a large variability between $-3.75$ and $-1.75$ and a robust tendency for this parameter to be steeper within the trailing edge where the speed is higher and to be flatter within the subsequent slower wind, following a gradual transition between these two states. The value of the spectral index seems to depend firmly on the power associated to the fluctuations within the inertial range, higher the power steeper the slope. Our result support previous analyses suggesting that there must be some response of the dissipation mechanism to the level of the energy transfer rate along the inertial range.