Diagnosing the Properties of the Solar Wind using Magnetic Topology

Abstract:

Recent work suggests that the topology of the coronal magnetic field plays a key role in the source and properties of the slow solar wind, through the collection of separatrix surfaces and quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) that define the S-web (Antiochos et al. 2011; Linker et al. 2011; Titov et al. 2011). We have accumulated extensive experience with using the squashing factor Q to analyze the underlying structural skeleton of the coronal magnetic field, to identify magnetic null points, separator field lines, QSLs, and separatrix surfaces, and their relationship with the topology of coronal hole boundaries. This will be extended by implementing slip mapping (Titov et al. 2009) to detect open, closed, and disconnected flux systems that are formed due to magnetic reconnection in a coronal model driven by both the differential rotation and evolution of the photospheric magnetic field. This idea is based on using forward and backward differences in time between the field line mapping expected from ideal MHD motions and the actual mapping to diagnose magnetic reconnection. This technique can identify regions in the photosphere where closed magnetic field lines are about to open (e.g., via interchange reconnection), and conversely, where open field lines are about to close. We will use these concepts to develop tools that relate the changing magnetic topology to the properties of the solar wind, to plan and interpret Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter observations.

Research supported by NASA's Living With a Star Program.