Recurrent solar density transients in the slow wind observed with the Metis coronagraph

0574439 - ASÚ 2024 RIV FR eng J - Journal Article
Ventura, R. - Antonucci, E. - Downs, C. - Heinzel, Petr … Total 25 authors
Recurrent solar density transients in the slow wind observed with the Metis coronagraph.
Astronomy & Astrophysics. Roč. 675, July (2023), č. článku A170. ISSN 0004-6361. E-ISSN 1432-0746
Institutional support: RVO:67985815
Keywords : Sun * corona * solar wind
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Impact factor: 6.5, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access

We aim to investigate and characterize the morphology and dynamics of small-scale coronal plasma density inhomogeneities detected as brighter, denser features propagating outward through the solar corona in the visible-light images of the Metis coronagraph on board Solar Orbiter on February 22, 2021. Our main focus is on investigating their possible origin and contribution to the slow wind variability and dynamics and their dependence on coronal magnetic field configurations and structure. The results suggest that the quasi-periodic enhanced-density plasmoids might be the consequence of reconnection phenomena occurring in the complex web of the separatrix and quasi-separatrix layers present in the solar corona. Moreover, the structural characteristics of some of the detected plasmoids are in favor of the presence of switchbacks that originate during interchange reconnection processes occurring at or below 3 R-& ODOT, in the S-web. The speed of the plasma ejected in the reconnection process is higher than that of the ambient slow solar wind and is likely to be related to the energy involved in the process generating the propagating structures.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0345572