Full Sun Observations for Identifying the Source of the Slow Solar Wind.

Abstract:

Fast and slow winds flow from the Sun, fill the entire solar system with hot gas, and affect
the Earth’s near space environment. The fast wind originates from the Sun’s polar regions, but
the source regions of the slow wind have long been debated. Using new measurements from the
Hinode satellite, we have identified the most likely sources by constructing a map of the whole
Sun that shows areas where plasma with the same chemical composition as the slow wind is
flowing out from the solar atmosphere on open magnetic field lines. This comprehensive
observation and analysis allows us to account for most of the mass flux observed at Earth. For
these observations, taken near solar maximum, we find that the most significant sources of the
slow solar wind are outflows from the edges of active regions.