Global solar magnetic field organization in the outer corona: influence on the solar wind speed and mass flux over the cycle

TL;DR

This study uses 3D MHD simulations constrained by solar magnetograms to explore how the global magnetic field structure influences solar wind speed and mass flux throughout the solar cycle, emphasizing the importance of expansion beyond the source surface.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates the significant impact of magnetic field expansion in the outer corona on solar wind properties, extending beyond the traditional source surface analysis, and aligns simulations with observed solar wind characteristics.

Findings

Radial magnetic field becomes latitude independent at some distance from the Sun.

Mass flux is mostly independent of the terminal wind speed.

Higher corona expansion influences wind speed more during solar minimum.

Abstract

The dynamics of the solar wind depends intrinsically on the structure of the global solar magnetic field, which undergoes fundamental changes over the 11-yr solar cycle. For instance, the wind terminal velocity is thought to be anti-correlated with the expansion factor, a measure of how the magnetic field varies with height in the solar corona, usually computed at a fixed height ($\approx 2.5 R_{\odot}$, the source surface radius which approximates the distance at which all magnetic field lines become open). However, the magnetic field expansion affects the solar wind in a more detailed way, its influence on the solar wind properties remaining significant well beyond the source surface. We demonstrate this using 3D global MHD simulations of the solar corona, constrained by surface magnetograms over half a solar cycle (1989-2001). A self-consistent expansion beyond the solar wind critical point (even up to $10R_{\odot}$) makes our model comply with observed characteristics of the solar wind, namely, that the radial magnetic field intensity becomes latitude independent at some distance from the Sun, and that the mass flux is mostly independent of the terminal wind speed. We also show that near activity minimum, the expansion in the higher corona has more influence on the wind speed than the expansion below $2.5 R_{\odot}$.