Abstract Details

Name: Arpita Roddanavar
Affiliation: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata
Conference ID: ASI2021_321
Title : Modelling Switchback Structures in the near-Sun environment.
Authors and Co-Authors : Arpita Roddanavar(Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (CESSI), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata), Dibyendu Nandy(Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (CESSI), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata; Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata)
Abstract Type : Poster
Abstract Category : Sun and the Solar System
Abstract : The Sun's outermost atmosphere, the Corona powers a flow of charged particles into interplanetary space known as the solar wind. This plasma wind carries the Sun's magnetic field, which permeates the heliosphere. These field lines appear to move approximately radially outwards from the Sun along Parker spirals. Observations from satellites, e.g., the Parker Probe, reveal local magnetic polarity inversions and folds in the magnetic field termed switchbacks. Velocity spikes are also observed in the vicinity of these structures. We propose that these structures may be created by vortical solar wind turbulence that twists the embedded magnetic field lines. We perform proof of concept numerical simulations to test this hypothesis. We reproduce magnetic switchback structures with our simple model and analyse how local vortices’ properties influence the size, length-scale and time-scales of the simulated switchback structures. Our preliminary findings are reported here.