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Switchbacks : Could solar jets hold the key ?

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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission has detected ubiquitous magnetic deflections in the nascent solar wind, known as switchbacks. To better understand these phenomena, whose origins remain uncertain, a study was conducted by a network of collaborators including the LPP (Jade Touresse, Etienne Pariat), the Franch-Spanish Laboratory for Astrophysics in Canarieas (FSLAC), the LPC2E and several UK researchers. This groundbreaking study, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, reveals that solar jets can create similar disturbances, but without leading to a complete reversal of the magnetic field.

Illustration de la déformation de lignes de champ magnétique dans un jet solaire se propageant. © J. Touresse

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission has revealed the ubiquitous presence of switchbacks, rapid reversals of the magnetic field in the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. These peculiar phenomena, rarely observed near Earth, have captivated the scientific community due to their enigmatic origins. A leading theory suggests that switchbacks originate from solar jets, which are ubiquitous in the lower atmosphere of the Sun.

To investigate their origins, a team of researchers from LPP [1] (Jade Touresse, Etienne Pariat), FSLAC [2], LPC2E [3], and the University of Dundee and Durham University [4] conducted 3D numerical simulations to replicate plasma behavior in the Sun’s atmosphere. These simulations allowed them to model solar jets and study their propagation in solar wind. By adjusting parameters such as pressure, temperature, and magnetic field, the researchers recreated the diversity of solar atmospheres observed. They then analyzed the simulation data in a manner similar to the instruments aboard the Parker Solar Probe, identifying magnetic field distortions resembling switchbacks.

Séquences de coupes de la vitesse transverse au cours la simulation numérique 3D, illustrant la rotation et la propagation du jet de la basse atmosphère solaire vers l’héliosphère interne. © Touresse et al, A&A, 2024

Their findings reveal that solar jets can generate magnetic deformations similar to switchbacks, although complete magnetic field reversals were not observed. This suggests that additional solar atmospheric phenomena, interacting with solar jets, may be responsible for switchbacks with a total magnetic field reversal. These results encourage further research to unravel these complex mechanisms.

Learn more :
 J. Touresse, E. Pariat, C. Froment, V. Aslanyan, P. F. Wyper and L. Seyfritz ; “Propagation of untwisting solar jets from the low-beta corona into the super-Alfvénic wind : Testing a solar origin scenario for switchbacks.” ; Astronomy & Astrophysics
 Sorbonne Université press release : Switchbacks : Could solar jets hold the key ?


[1Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), Sorbonne Université, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, CNRS

[2French-Spanish Laboratory for Astrophysics in Canarias (FSLAC), CNRS, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

[3Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l’Environnement et de l’Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers - Université d’Orléans, CNRS, CNES

[4School of Mathematics, University of Dundee, & Durham University, Department of Mathematical Sciences


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