arXiv · 2211.16972
First analysis of in-situ observation of surface Alfvén waves in ICME flux rope
Abstract
Alfvén waves (AWs) are inevitable in space and astrophysical plasma. Their crucial role in various physical processes, occurring in plasma, has triggered intense research in solar-terrestrial physics. Simulation studies have proposed the generation of AWs along the surface of a cylindrical flux rope, referred to as Surface AWs (SAWs); however the observational verification of this distinct wave has been elusive to date. We report the first \textit{in-situ} observation of SAWs in an interplanetary coronal mass ejection flux rope. We apply the Walén test to identify them. The Elsasser variables are used to estimate the characterization of these SAWs. They may be excited by the movement of the flux rope's foot points or by instabilities along the plasma magnetic cloud's boundaries. Here, the change in plasma density or field strength in the surface-aligned magnetic field may trigger SAWs.
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Anil Raghav, Omkar Dhamane, Zubair Shaikh, Naba Azmi, Ankita Manjrekar, Utsav Panchal, Kalpesh Ghag, Daniele Telloni, Raffaella D'Amicis, Prathmesh Tari, Akshata Gurav. 2023-02-21. First analysis of in-situ observation of surface Alfvén waves in ICME flux rope. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Facb93c
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