Slowing of Solar Winds | connecting-the-dots

Facts

[>] The speed of the solar winds is 72 million km per hour.
[>] Solar winds vary throughout the sun's 11 year cycle of activity
[>] A solar flare was first observed in 1859
[>] The term solar wind was coined by Eugene Parker in 1957
[>] Solar wind particles were detected by the Mariner 2 spacecraft in 1962

CMEs

Coronal mass ejections (CME) pose a particular threat to earth's satellites.

Why do different regions of the sun produce solar winds of different speeds and densities?

Types of solar winds

Fast solar winds - speeds of more than 500 km per second. Smooth and continuous Originates from coronal holes

Slow solar winds

speeds of less than 500 km per second
Origin is still debated

Cue

Cue, the Solar orbiter mission, said to be the most complex scientific laboratory send to the sun. Conceived by the ESA and supported by NASA, launched in february 2020.

Corona

Corona, being the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.

Types of corona

Open corona - situation in which magnetic field lines are anchored at one end to the sun before stretching into space, creating a path along which solar material can be channeled away.

Closed corona - both ends are connected to the solar surface, forming a bright loop over magnetically active regions.

Solar wind plasma equipment

The solar wind plasma analyser has 3 components: 1. Proton alpha sensor 2. Electron analyser system 3. Heavy Ion Sensor

Heavy Ion Sensor

Heavy Ion Sensor is crucial because of the differing levels of heavy ions in the solar wind, can determine where it came from, since each region of the sun has a unique combination of heavy ions.

Theories about solar wind

Origins of solar winds - 3 main explanations

Expansion factor model One of the general models for explaining the origins of the solar wind suggests it begins its journey from the edge of a coronal hole and travels along a tube like stretch of space which contains magnetic field.
The Interchange model This suggest that the slow wind may originate from a closed field region of the corona, with plasma being released along closed loops whenever the magnetic field lines occasionally breaks and realign.
The S web model This is a mix of the previous 2 theories. It says that the slow solar wind is fuelled when the magnetic lines break and re connect and that the source is a network of narrow open field corridors mapped to a web of separatrix.