High-speed solar-wind streams and geospace interactions

Abstract

High-speed solar-wind streams emanate from solar coronal holes; the fast wind interacts with upstream slow streams producing regions of enhanced magnetic field strength and particle density that are known as co-rotating interaction regions. Due to the recurring nature of coronal holes near solar minimum, this results in periodic driving of the magnetosphere that can last for several days and input as much energy as a storm driven by a coronal mass ejection.