The Structure and Origin of Switchbacks: Parker Solar Probe Observations

TL;DR

This study investigates the structure and origins of magnetic switchbacks observed by the Parker Solar Probe, highlighting the role of small-scale current sheets and helium variations in understanding their stability and formation mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper provides new insights into the stability and origin of switchbacks, emphasizing the role of current sheets and helium composition, and suggests interchange reconnection as a possible formation process.

Findings

More current sheets are found inside switchbacks, indicating stabilization.

Switchbacks contain both helium-rich and helium-poor populations.

Low helium abundance and differential speed dominate in switchbacks.

Abstract

Switchbacks are rapid magnetic field reversals that last from seconds to hours. Current Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations pose many open questions in regard to the nature of switchbacks. For example, are they stable as they propagate through the inner heliosphere, and how are they formed? In this work, we aim to investigate the structure and origin of switchbacks. In order to study the stability of switchbacks, we suppose the small-scale current sheets therein are generated by magnetic braiding, and they should work to stabilize the switchbacks. With more than one thousand switchbacks identified with PSP observations in seven encounters, we find many more current sheets inside than outside switchbacks, indicating that these microstructures should work to stabilize the S-shaped structures of switchbacks. Additionally, we study the helium variations to trace the switchbacks to their origins. We find both helium-rich and helium-poor populations in switchbacks, implying that the switchbacks could originate from both closed and open magnetic field regions in the Sun. Moreover, we observe that the alpha-proton differential speeds also show complex variations as compared to the local Alfv\'en speed. The joint distributions of both parameters show that low helium abundance together with low differential speed is the dominant state in switchbacks. The presence of small-scale current sheets in switchbacks along with the helium features are in line with the hypothesis that switchbacks could originate from the Sun via interchange reconnection process. However, other formation mechanisms are not excluded.