Characteristics of Magnetic Holes in the Solar Wind Revealed by Parker Solar Probe

TL;DR

This study statistically analyzes linear magnetic holes in the solar wind from 0.166 to 0.82 AU using Parker Solar Probe data, revealing their characteristics, evolution, and possible formation mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of LMHs' properties and their radial evolution in the inner solar wind, highlighting new features and behaviors.

Findings

LMHs mainly last less than 25 seconds and have depths from 0.25 to 0.7.

Occurrence rate of LMHs is about 8.7 events per day, higher than previous observations.

LMHs' geometry elongates both across and along magnetic field lines from Sun to Earth.

Abstract

We present a statistical analysis for the characteristics and radial evolution of linear magnetic holes (LMHs) in the solar wind from 0.166 to 0.82 AU using Parker Solar Probe observations of the first two orbits. It is found that the LMHs mainly have a duration less than 25 s and the depth is in the range from 0.25 to 0.7. The durations slightly increase and the depths become slightly deeper with the increasing heliocentric distance. Both the plasma temperature and the density for about 50% of all events inside the holes are higher than the ones surrounding the holes. The average occurrence rate is 8.7 events/day, much higher than that of the previous observations. The occurrence rate of the LMHs has no clear variation with the heliocentric distance (only a slight decreasing trend with the increasing heliocentric distance), and has several enhancements around ~0.525 AU and ~0.775 AU, implying that there may be new locally generated LMHs. All events are segmented into three parts (i.e., 0.27, 0.49 and 0.71 AU) to investigate the geometry evolution of the linear magnetic holes. The results show that the geometry of LMHs are prolonged both across and along the magnetic field direction from the Sun to the Earth, while the scales across the field extend a little faster than along the field. The present study could help us to understand the evolution and formation mechanism of the LMHs in the solar wind.