AbstractIn this paper we study the shape, extend and time variations of the solar wind transition surfaces using the Lima and Priest (1993) hydrodynamic model adequately adapted for the case of the solar wind flow. The transition surfaces, namely the Slow (Sonic), the Alfvén, and the Fast Magnetosonic surface, are important boundaries around the Sun and play a crucial role in the development of the solar wind and the structure of the inner heliosphere. We determine the shape and dimension of these surfaces as a function of heliographic latitude using measurements from Ulysses spacecraft, and we also study their temporal variation using data from spacecrafts at 1 AU (OMNI database). Furthermore, we establish their dependence with the solar activity, demonstrating their shape and location for the last two solar cycles. From this we noticed that the temporal variation of all transition surfaces follows the 11-year solar cycle. Finally, from the OMNI database, we have studied the temporal variation over the past 40years of the plasma β parameter, the kinetic to magnetic and the kinetic to thermal energy ratios, at a distance of 1 AU from the Sun.


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    Title :

    Study of the solar Slow Sonic, Alfvén and Fast Magnetosonic transition surfaces


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 46 , 4 ; 382-390


    Publication date :

    2010-04-27


    Size :

    9 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





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