Solar wind ion trends and signatures: STEREO PLASTIC observations approaching solar minimum

A. B. Galvin; M. A. Popecki; K. D. C. Simunac; L. M. Kistler; L. Ellis; J. Barry; L. Berger; L. M. Blush; P. Bochsler; P. Bochsler; C. J. Farrugia; L. K. Jian; E. K. J. Kilpua; B. Klecker; M. Lee; Y. C.-M. Liu; J. L. Luhmann; E. Moebius; A. Opitz; C. T. Russell; B. Thompson; R. F. Wimmer-Schweingruber; P. Wurz

doi:10.5194/angeo-27-3909-2009

Annales Geophysicae (Oct 2009)

Solar wind ion trends and signatures: STEREO PLASTIC observations approaching solar minimum

A. B. Galvin,
M. A. Popecki,
K. D. C. Simunac,
L. M. Kistler,
L. Ellis,
J. Barry,
L. Berger,
L. M. Blush,
P. Bochsler,
P. Bochsler,
C. J. Farrugia,
L. K. Jian,
E. K. J. Kilpua,
B. Klecker,
M. Lee,
Y. C.-M. Liu,
J. L. Luhmann,
E. Moebius,
A. Opitz,
C. T. Russell,
B. Thompson,
R. F. Wimmer-Schweingruber,
P. Wurz

Affiliations

A. B. Galvin: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
M. A. Popecki: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
K. D. C. Simunac: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
L. M. Kistler: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
L. Ellis: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
J. Barry: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
L. Berger: Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
L. M. Blush: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
P. Bochsler: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
P. Bochsler: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
C. J. Farrugia: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
L. K. Jian: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
E. K. J. Kilpua: Department of Physics, Theoretical Physics Division, University of Helsinki, Finland
B. Klecker: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching, Germany
M. Lee: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Y. C.-M. Liu: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
J. L. Luhmann: Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
E. Moebius: University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
A. Opitz: Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements (CNRS-UPS), 31028 Toulouse, France
C. T. Russell: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
B. Thompson: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
R. F. Wimmer-Schweingruber: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching, Germany
P. Wurz: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-27-3909-2009
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 27
pp. 3909 – 3922

Abstract

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STEREO has now completed the first two years of its mission, moving from close proximity to Earth in 2006/2007 to more than 50 degrees longitudinal separation from Earth in 2009. During this time, several large-scale structures have been observed in situ. Given the prevailing solar minimum conditions, these structures have been predominantly coronal hole-associated solar wind, slow solar wind, their interfaces, and the occasional transient event. In this paper, we extend earlier solar wind composition studies into the current solar minimum using high-resolution (1-h) sampling times for the charge state analysis. We examine 2-year trends for iron charge states and solar wind proton speeds, and present a case study of Carrington Rotation 2064 (December 2007) which includes minor ion (He, Fe, O) kinetic and Fe composition parameters in comparison with proton and magnetic field signatures at large-scale structures observed during this interval.

Published in Annales Geophysicae

ISSN: 0992-7689 (Print); 1432-0576 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics: Geophysics. Cosmic physics
Website: http://www.annales-geophysicae.net

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