Distinct polytropic behavior of plasma during ICME-HSS Interaction

TL;DR

This study analyzes the thermodynamic behavior of plasma during ICME-HSS interactions, revealing distinct polytropic indices that indicate different heating, cooling, and expansion processes in space weather phenomena.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed measurement of polytropic indices during ICME-HSS interactions, highlighting the thermodynamic variations in different regions observed by spacecraft.

Findings

ICME exhibits isothermal behavior with polytropic index 1.0.

HSS region shows nearly adiabatic behavior with index 1.8.

Interaction region exhibits super-adiabatic behavior with index 2.5.

Abstract

Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) and High Speed Streams (HSSs) are noteworthy drivers of disturbance of interplanetary space. Interaction between them can cause several phenomena, such as; generation of waves, enhanced geo-effectiveness, particle acceleration, etc. However, how does thermodynamic properties vary during the ICME-HSS interaction remain an open problem. In this study, we investigated the polytropic behavior of plasma during an ICME-HSS interaction observed by STEREO and Wind spacecraft. We find that the ICME observed by the STEREO-A has polytropic index $\alpha = 1.0$, i.e., exhibiting isothermal process. Moreover, Wind spacecraft observed the HSS region, non-interacting ICME, and ICME-HSS interaction region. During each regions we found $\alpha$=1.8, $\alpha$=0.7, and $\alpha$=2.5, respectively. It implies that the HSS region exhibits a nearly adiabatic behaviour, ICME region is closely isothermal, and the ICME-HSS interaction region exhibits super-adiabatic behaviour. The insufficient expansion of the ICME due to the interaction with HSS triggers the system for heating and cooling mechanisms which dependent on the degrees of freedom of plasma components.