Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability
The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) governs the coupling between the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres through a series of complex interactions. However, it is challenging to simultaneously measure both the upstream IMF conditions and magnetospheric activity in situ. A common alternative a...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add72f |
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| author | Jiutong Zhao Shan Wang Weijie Sun Xingyu Zhu Chuanpeng Hou Qiugang Zong Jiansen He Xuzhi Zhou Chao Yue Liu Yang Daniel Heyner |
| author_facet | Jiutong Zhao Shan Wang Weijie Sun Xingyu Zhu Chuanpeng Hou Qiugang Zong Jiansen He Xuzhi Zhou Chao Yue Liu Yang Daniel Heyner |
| author_sort | Jiutong Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) governs the coupling between the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres through a series of complex interactions. However, it is challenging to simultaneously measure both the upstream IMF conditions and magnetospheric activity in situ. A common alternative approach is to utilize recent upstream measurements obtained before the spacecraft crosses the bow shock. To assess the validity of this method, we examine the temporal variability of the IMF using spacecraft magnetic field data from multiple space missions. Our analysis reveals that the autocorrelation function employed to measure IMF temporal variability is significantly influenced by the heliocentric distance and the solar cycle. Notably, the temporal variability of each magnetic field component varies, with the component aligned with the Parker spiral direction exhibiting weaker temporal variability than those perpendicular to it. Furthermore, the autocorrelation coefficients decay slower in the outer heliosphere, possibly due to the expansion, deformation, or merging of solar wind flux tubes. Nevertheless, considering planetary bow shocks and spacecraft travel time from the solar wind to the inner planetary magnetosphere (e.g., ∼2 hrs for Mars and ∼30 days for Jupiter), it is more feasible to estimate the upstream IMF conditions for the inner planetary magnetosphere than for the outer ones. Our study unravels the long-term evolution of the solar wind magnetic field and the consequence of the flux tube interaction. These results can also benefit the investigation of the solar wind–planetary magnetosphere coupling process by providing a more robust analysis of the upstream condition. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-76d656fed7e744409764a760f7d77ef42025-08-20T03:29:13ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198719310.3847/1538-4357/add72fStatistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical VariabilityJiutong Zhao0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0263-4878Shan Wang1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6783-7759Weijie Sun2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5260-658XXingyu Zhu3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1541-6397Chuanpeng Hou4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7205-2449Qiugang Zong5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6414-3794Jiansen He6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8179-417XXuzhi Zhou7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4953-1761Chao Yue8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9720-5210Liu Yang9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6416-1538Daniel Heyner10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7894-8246School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSpace Sciences Laboratory, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USACenter for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), The University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville, AL 35805, USASchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China ; qgzong@pku.edu.cnInstitut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , 24118 Kiel, GermanyInstitut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig , 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyThe interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) governs the coupling between the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres through a series of complex interactions. However, it is challenging to simultaneously measure both the upstream IMF conditions and magnetospheric activity in situ. A common alternative approach is to utilize recent upstream measurements obtained before the spacecraft crosses the bow shock. To assess the validity of this method, we examine the temporal variability of the IMF using spacecraft magnetic field data from multiple space missions. Our analysis reveals that the autocorrelation function employed to measure IMF temporal variability is significantly influenced by the heliocentric distance and the solar cycle. Notably, the temporal variability of each magnetic field component varies, with the component aligned with the Parker spiral direction exhibiting weaker temporal variability than those perpendicular to it. Furthermore, the autocorrelation coefficients decay slower in the outer heliosphere, possibly due to the expansion, deformation, or merging of solar wind flux tubes. Nevertheless, considering planetary bow shocks and spacecraft travel time from the solar wind to the inner planetary magnetosphere (e.g., ∼2 hrs for Mars and ∼30 days for Jupiter), it is more feasible to estimate the upstream IMF conditions for the inner planetary magnetosphere than for the outer ones. Our study unravels the long-term evolution of the solar wind magnetic field and the consequence of the flux tube interaction. These results can also benefit the investigation of the solar wind–planetary magnetosphere coupling process by providing a more robust analysis of the upstream condition.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add72fInterplanetary magnetic fieldsSolar windPlanetary magnetospheres |
| spellingShingle | Jiutong Zhao Shan Wang Weijie Sun Xingyu Zhu Chuanpeng Hou Qiugang Zong Jiansen He Xuzhi Zhou Chao Yue Liu Yang Daniel Heyner Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability The Astrophysical Journal Interplanetary magnetic fields Solar wind Planetary magnetospheres |
| title | Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability |
| title_full | Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability |
| title_fullStr | Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability |
| title_short | Statistics of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field from 0.1 to 30 au. II. Dynamical Variability |
| title_sort | statistics of the interplanetary magnetic field from 0 1 to 30 au ii dynamical variability |
| topic | Interplanetary magnetic fields Solar wind Planetary magnetospheres |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add72f |
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