Prediction and Verification of Parker Solar Probe Solar Wind Sources at 13.3 R$_\odot
Drawing connections between heliospheric spacecraft and solar wind sources is a vital step in understanding the evolution of the solar corona into the solar wind and contextualizing \textit{in situ} timeseries. Furthermore, making advanced predictions of this linkage for ongoing heliospheric mission...
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Zusammenfassung: | Drawing connections between heliospheric spacecraft and solar wind sources is
a vital step in understanding the evolution of the solar corona into the solar
wind and contextualizing \textit{in situ} timeseries. Furthermore, making
advanced predictions of this linkage for ongoing heliospheric missions, such as
Parker Solar Probe (PSP), is necessary for achieving useful coordinated remote
observations and maximizing scientific return. The general procedure for
estimating such connectivity is straightforward (i.e. magnetic field line
tracing in a coronal model) but validating the resulting estimates difficult
due to the lack of an independent ground truth and limited model constraints.
In its most recent orbits, PSP has reached perihelia of 13.3$R_\odot$ and
moreover travels extremely fast prograde relative to the solar surface,
covering over 120 degrees longitude in three days. Here we present footpoint
predictions and subsequent validation efforts for PSP Encounter 10, the first
of the 13.3$R_\odot$ orbits, which occurred in November 2021. We show that the
longitudinal dependence of \textit{in situ} plasma data from these novel orbits
provides a powerful method of footpoint validation. With reference to other
encounters, we also illustrate that the conditions under which source mapping
is most accurate for near-ecliptic spacecraft (such as PSP) occur when solar
activity is low, but also requires that the heliospheric current sheet is
strongly warped by mid-latitude or equatorial coronal holes. Lastly, we comment
on the large-scale coronal structure implied by the Encounter 10 mapping,
highlighting an empirical equatorial cut of the Alfv\`{e}n surface consisting
of localized protrusions above unipolar magnetic separatrices. |
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DOI: | 10.48550/arxiv.2303.04852 |