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Title: Heliospheric Diffusion of Stochastic Parker Spirals in Radially Evolving Solar Wind Turbulence
Abstract

 We present a stochastic field line mapping model where the interplanetary magnetic field lines are described by a density distribution function satisfying a Fokker–Planck equation that is solved numerically. Due to the spiral geometry of the nominal Parker field and to the evolving nature of solar wind turbulence, the heliospheric diffusion of the magnetic field lines is both heterogeneous and anisotropic, including a radial component. The longitudinal distributions of the magnetic field lines are shown to be close to circular Gaussian distributions, although they develop a noticeable skewness. The magnetic field lines emanating from the Sun are found to differ, on average, from the spirals predicted by Parker. Although the spirals remain close to Archimedean, they are here underwound, on average. Our model predicts a spiral angle that is smaller by ∼5° than the Parker spiral angle at Earth’s orbit for the same solar wind speed ofVsw= 400 km s−1. It also predicts an angular position on the solar disk of the best magnetically connected footpoint to an observer at 1 au that is shifted westward by ∼10° with respect to the Parker’s field model. This significantly changes the angle of the most probable magnetic connection between possible sources on the Sun and observers in the inner heliosphere. The results have direct implications for the heliospheric transport of “scatter-free” electrons accelerated in the aftermath of solar eruptions.

 
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Award ID(s):
2149771
NSF-PAR ID:
10493798
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ApJ
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
962
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
186
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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