Solitons and Turbulence in Solar Wind at 1 au: Multi-satellite Data and FDTD Simulations

Abstract

Abstract During 2015 January 1–31 multi-satellite data at 1 au showed the propagation of single soliton pulses, the formation of soliton trains, and their ultimate development into the turbulence in solar wind magnetic field, density, speed, temperature, and dynamic pressure. This work is motivated by a basic research question: what are the differences in the conditions for excitation of soliton pulse, soliton train, and turbulence in the solar wind? To answer this question, a convective and dispersive system is considered and simulated via the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. It is found that when a system is initially driven by a weak shock wave only a single soliton pulse will propagate. When the convection coefficient is smaller than or equal to the dispersion coefficient and system is driven by a strong shock then soliton trains are formed. The development of turbulence occurs when the convective coefficient dominates the dispersion coefficient and the system is driven by a stronger shock. Combining the findings of FDTD simulations with the Hall magnetohydrodynamic model, it is concluded that an enhanced interplanetary magnetic field in the magnetic sheath and the declining ion density after corotation interaction region interface provide favorable conditions for the solitons formation. Contrarily, the declining magnetic field in ejecta provides pertinent conditions for the evolution of Alfvénic turbulence. Our findings are critical for understanding the wave development into turbulence in solar wind.