Solar wind magnetic field background spectrum from fluid to kinetic scales

TL;DR

This paper investigates the magnetic field fluctuation spectrum in the solar wind across fluid to kinetic scales, revealing a common background spectrum modulated by local turbulence and flow speed.

Contribution

It identifies a universal magnetic background spectrum in the solar wind that persists across different flow speeds and regions, extending previous understanding of solar wind turbulence.

Findings

Magnetic fluctuation power decreases with flow speed but retains Kolmogorov scaling.

Spectral index flattens to around -2.7 near proton scales across streams.

Power level remains constant at higher frequencies across different flow speeds.

Abstract

The solar wind is highly structured in fast and slow flows. These two dynamical regimes remarkably differ not only for the average values of magnetic field and plasma parameters but also for the type of fluctuations they transport. Fast wind is characterized by large amplitude, incompressible fluctuations, mainly Alfv\'{e}nic, slow wind is generally populated by smaller amplitude and less Alfv\'{e}nic fluctuations, mainly compressive. The typical corotating fast stream is characterized by a stream interface, a fast wind region and a slower rarefaction region formed by the trailing expansion edge of the stream. Moving {between these two regions}, from faster to slower wind, we observe the following behavior: a) the power level of magnetic fluctuations within the inertial range largely decreases, keeping the typical Kolmogorov scaling; b) at proton scales, for about one decade right beyond the high frequency break, the spectral index becomes flatter and flatter towards a value around -2.7; c) at higher frequencies, before the electron scales, the spectral index remains around -2.7 and, {based on suitable observations available for $4$ corotating streams}, the power level does not change, irrespective of the flow speed. All these spectral features, characteristic of high speed streams, suggest the existence of a sort of magnetic field background spectrum. This spectrum would be common to both faster and slower wind but, any time the observer would cross the inner part of a fluxtube channeling the faster wind into the interplanetary space, a turbulent and large amplitude Alfv\'{e}nic spectrum would be superposed to it.