Magnetic Connectivity of the Ecliptic Plane within 0.5 au: Potential Field Source Surface Modeling of the First Parker Solar Probe Encounter

We compare magnetic field measurements taken by the FIELDS instrument on board Parker Solar Probe (PSP) during its first solar encounter to predictions obtained by potential field source surface (PFSS) modeling. Ballistic propagation is used to connect the spacecraft to the source surface. Despite t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series Vol. 246; no. 2; pp. 23 - 39
Main Authors: Badman, Samuel T., Bale, Stuart D., Martínez Oliveros, Juan C., Panasenco, Olga, Velli, Marco, Stansby, David, Buitrago-Casas, Juan C., Réville, Victor, Bonnell, John W., Case, Anthony W., Dudok de Wit, Thierry, Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., Kasper, Justin C., Korreck, Kelly E., Larson, Davin E., Livi, Roberto, MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., Pulupa, Marc, Stevens, Michael L., Whittlesey, Phyllis L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Saskatoon The American Astronomical Society 01.02.2020
IOP Publishing
American Astronomical Society
Series:Early Results from Parker Solar Probe: Ushering a New Frontier in Space Exploration
Subjects:
Astrophysics
Charged particles
Coronal holes
Heliosphere
Heliospheric magnetic field
Interplanetary magnetic fields
Inversions
Jupiter
Latitude
Magnetic fields
Mathematical models
Modelling
Open source software
Parameters
Photosphere
Physics
Polarity
Potential fields
Sciences of the Universe
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Solar corona
Solar magnetic field
Solar magnetic fields
Solar probes
Solar wind
Solar wind electrons
Solar wind velocity
Space Physics
Spacecraft
Wind speed
Heliosphere
Solar corona
Solar magnetic fields
Magnetic fields
Solar wind
Open source software
Interplanetary magnetic fields
ISSN:0067-0049, 1538-4365
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:We compare magnetic field measurements taken by the FIELDS instrument on board Parker Solar Probe (PSP) during its first solar encounter to predictions obtained by potential field source surface (PFSS) modeling. Ballistic propagation is used to connect the spacecraft to the source surface. Despite the simplicity of the model, our results show striking agreement with PSP's first observations of the heliospheric magnetic field from ∼0.5 au (107.5 R ) down to 0.16 au (35.7 R ). Further, we show the robustness of the agreement is improved both by allowing the photospheric input to the model to vary in time, and by advecting the field from PSP down to the PFSS model domain using in situ PSP/Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons measurements of the solar wind speed instead of assuming it to be constant with longitude and latitude. We also explore the source surface height parameter (RSS) to the PFSS model, finding that an extraordinarily low source surface height (1.3-1.5 R ) predicts observed small-scale polarity inversions, which are otherwise washed out with regular modeling parameters. Finally, we extract field line traces from these models. By overlaying these on extreme ultraviolet images we observe magnetic connectivity to various equatorial and mid-latitude coronal holes, indicating plausible magnetic footpoints and offering context for future discussions of sources of the solar wind measured by PSP.
Bibliography:The Sun and the Heliosphere
AAS20097
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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content type line 14
ISSN:0067-0049
1538-4365
DOI:10.3847/1538-4365/ab4da7