Sensitivity of solar wind mass flux to coronal temperature

TL;DR

This study empirically tests how variations in coronal temperature affect solar wind mass flux, confirming models that predict high sensitivity, especially in active regions.

Contribution

It provides direct observational evidence linking coronal temperature increases to significant rises in solar wind mass flux in different solar regions.

Findings

Coronal hole temperature increase from 0.8 MK to 1.2 MK triples mass flux.

Active region temperature over 2 MK leads to 200-fold increase in mass flux.

Mass flux is highly sensitive to coronal temperature changes.

Abstract

Solar wind models predict that the mass flux carried away from the Sun in the solar wind should be extremely sensitive to the temperature in the corona, where the solar wind is accelerated. We perform a direct test of this prediction in coronal holes and active regions, using a combination of in-situ and remote sensing observations. For coronal holes, a 50% increase in temperature from 0.8 MK to 1.2 MK is associated with a tripling of the coronal mass flux. At temperatures over 2 MK, within active regions, this trend is maintained, with a four-fold increase in temperature corresponding to a 200-fold increase in coronal mass flux.