Compressive Coherent Structures at Ion Scales in the Slow Solar Wind

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetic field fluctuations near ion scales in slow solar wind, revealing a variety of coherent structures, including magnetic holes, solitons, shock waves, and vortices, which contribute to intermittency and plasma heating.

Contribution

First comprehensive analysis showing diverse coherent structures at ion scales in slow solar wind, challenging the notion that current sheets are the primary cause of intermittency.

Findings

Magnetic structures are predominantly perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Spatial scales range from 2 to 8 proton gyroradii.

25% of structures propagate in the plasma frame.

Abstract

We present a study of magnetic field fluctuations, in a slow solar wind stream, close to ion scales, where an increase of the level of magnetic compressibility is observed. Here, the nature of these compressive fluctuations is found to be characterized by coherent structures. Although previous studies have shown that current sheets can be considered as the principal cause of intermittency at ion scales, here we show for the first time that, in the case of the slow solar wind, a large variety of coherent structures contributes to intermittency at proton scales, and current sheets are not the most common. Specifically, we find compressive ($\delta b_{\|} \gg \delta b_{\perp}$), linearly polarized structures in the form of magnetic holes, solitons and shock waves. Examples of Alfv\'enic structures ($\delta b_{\perp} > \delta b_{\|}$) are identified as current sheets and vortex-like structures. Some of these vortices have $ \delta b_{\perp} \gg \delta b_{\|}$, as in the case of Alfv\'en vortices, but the majority of them are characterized by $\delta b_{\perp} \gtrsim \delta b_{\|}$. Thanks to multi-point measurements by Cluster spacecraft, for about 100 structures, we could determine the normal, the propagation velocity and the spatial scale along this normal. Independently of the nature of the structures, the normal is always perpendicular to the local magnetic field, meaning that $k_{\perp} \gg k_{\parallel}$. The spatial scales of the studied structures are found to be between 2 and 8 times the proton gyroradius. Most of them are simply convected by the wind, but 25\% propagate in the plasma frame. Possible interpretations of the observed structures and the connection with plasma heating are discussed.