Faraday Rotation Fluctuations Research Articles

Possible evidence for coronal Alfvén waves

The 2.29 GHz S band carrier signals of the two Helios spacecraft are used to probe the magnetic and density structures of the solar corona inside 0.05 AU. In this paper we analyze the observed fluctuations of the electron content and Faraday rotation. A simple statistical ray analysis is employed. We conclude that (1) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations cannot be solely due to electron density fluctuations in the corona unless the coronal magnetic field is some 5 times stronger than suggested by current estimates, and (2) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations are consistent with the hypothesis that the sun radiates Alfvén waves with sufficient energies to heat and accelerate high‐speed solar wind streams.