Abstract
We study the heliospheric current sheet structure during the 1979–1982 time period, which includes the sunspot maximum of solar cycle 21 and the 1980 reversal of the polar magnetic field of the Sun. We examine the evolution of the large-scale configuration of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), as calculated by Hoeksema (1991), and its extent in heliographic latitude during this time period. We study the fine-scale characteristics of its structure near sector boundaries (SB) detected in the vicinity of the Earth, using interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind velocity data, as well as temperature measurements (mainly from IMP data). We observe small vortices (eddies) of the order of 0.2 to 0.4 AU in diameter, with time scales of several hours to days. Vortices appear frequently in the plasma near the so-called ‘thick’ sectors. The local orientation of the sector boundaries is distorted by the presence of vortices. The appearance of vortices is evident in the interplanetary magnetic field, plasma velocity, density, and temperature data.
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