The Dynamic Structure of Coronal Hole Boundaries

Abstract

The boundaries of solar coronal holes are difficult to uniquely define observationally but are sites of interest in part because the slow solar wind appears to originate there. The aim of this article is to explore the dynamics of interchange magnetic reconnection at different types of coronal hole boundaries—namely streamers and pseudostreamers—and their implications for the coronal structure. We describe synthetic observables derived from three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the atmosphere of the Sun in which coronal hole boundaries are disturbed by flows that mimic the solar supergranulation. Our analysis shows that interchange reconnection takes place much more readily at the pseudostreamer boundary of the coronal hole. As a result, the portion of the coronal hole boundary formed by the pseudostreamer remains much smoother, in contrast to the highly distorted helmet-streamer portion of the coronal hole boundary. Our results yield important new insights on coronal hole boundary regions, which are critical in coupling the corona to the heliosphere as the formation regions of the slow solar wind.