Wind Origin Research Articles

Baryonic Ecosystem IN Galaxies (BEINGMgII). II. Unveiling the nature of galaxies harbouring cool gas reservoirs

We search for the galaxies associated with the intervening absorbers over a redshift range of totaldetectionzabsmin z using imaging data from DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and measure the redshift based on the direct detection of nebular emission in the background quasar spectra from the SDSS survey. We find absorbers associated with strong or and nebular emissions, at a $2.5σ$ level. Among them, for absorbers, we detect an absorber host galaxy at impact parameters of detectioniplowkpc ρ kpc, including three absorbers associated with a galaxy pair, with a best-fit galaxy spectral energy distribution model based on multi-passband photometric data from DESI Legacy Imaging surveys, supplemented with the infrared VISTA and unWISE imaging surveys. The detection rate of the absorber host with strong nebular emission in the finite SDSS fibre of a 2--3 arcsec diameter increases from 0.2% to ∼3% with an increasing equivalent width from $0.3Å to ∼$ 3.5Å, which remains near-constant across the probed redshift range. The associated host galaxies exhibit a wide range of stellar mass from le ⋆ /M_ ⊙ with an average star formation rate (SFR) of rm ⊙ . The absorber hosts selected based on nebular emission mostly exhibit active star-forming systems including starburst systems, but with a suppressed SFR. The near-constant absorption strength at low-impact parameters suggests a high gas covering fraction. We find that the equivalent width ( positively correlates with the SFR and specific SFR, likely indicating their wind origin. The average velocity offset between the host and the absorber suggests that the gas is bound within the dark matter halo.

Forbidden emission line spectro-imaging of the RU Lupi jet and low-velocity component

The first images of the jet and low-velocity component (LVC) from the strongly accreting classical T Tauri star RU Lupi are presented. Adaptive optics-assisted spectro-imaging of forbidden emission lines was used. The main aim of the observations was to test the conclusion from a recent spectro-astrometric study that the narrow component (NC) of the LVC traces a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disk wind, and to estimate the mass-loss rate in the wind. The structure and morphology support a wind origin for the NC. The upper limit to the launch radius and semi-opening angle of the wind in [O I] λ6300 emission are estimated to be 2 au and 19°, in agreement with MHD wind models for high accretors. The height of the [O I] λ6300 wind-emitting region, a key parameter for the derivation of the mass-loss rate, is estimated for the first time at ∼35 au, giving Ṁout = 2.6 × 10−11 M⊙ yr−1. When compared to the derived mass-accretion rate of Ṁacc = 1.6 × 10−7 M⊙ yr−1, the efficiency in the wind is too low for the wind to contribute significantly to the angular momentum removal.

Radio Spectrum Observations and Studies of the Solar Broadband Radio Dynamic Spectrometer (SBRS)

Solar radio spectral observation is one of the essential approaches for solar physics research, which helps us study the plasma dynamics in the solar atmosphere. The Solar Broadband Radio Dynamic Spectrometer (SBRS) started observing the Sun at Huairou Solar Observing Station in Beijing, China, in 1999. It has obtained a large amount of high-quality observation data of solar radio dynamic spectra in the centimeter–decimeter wavelengths (1.10–7.60 GHz). In particular, the observations with high-temporal resolution of millisecond and high-frequency resolution of MHz display plenty of superfine structures in the dynamic spectrum, which provide crucial information on the radiation process of various radio bursts. We review the past history of solar radio spectral observation and scientific results of SBRS. It is meaningful and will undoubtedly help us inspire new ideas for future research. The understanding of the basic plasma processes in solar plasma could also promote the development of solar physics, astrophysics, and space weather. To broaden the observation frequency range, we propose a new spectrometer at millimeter wavelengths (20–100 GHz) with ultra-wideband and high time–frequency resolution to study the physical processes in the solar transition region. This will open a new window for solar physics research and will provide crucial observational evidence for exploring a series of major issues in solar physics, including coronal heating, solar eruptions, and the origin of solar winds.

Thermodynamic Evolution of Plumes

Plumes are considered to play an important role in the origin of the solar wind. However, an understanding of their thermodynamic evolution is not complete. Here, we perform a detailed study of a plume inside a coronal hole throughout its lifetime, using the observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We find that the plume’s formation is preceded by frequent occurrences of small-scale jets and jetlets at its base, leading to the gradual development of plume haze. The plume rapidly developed within the first 6 hr into its well-known morphology. Light curves from all extreme ultraviolet channels exhibit a similar profile, suggesting its multithermal nature and intensity modulation over its lifespan. Moreover, the photospheric magnetic field dynamics at the plume’s base are highly correlated with its light curve in 171 Å. We calculate outflow velocities, observed prominently in the 171 Å passband and mildly in the 193 and 211 Å passbands, with median speeds lower in higher temperature bands but occasionally comparable to the respective sound speeds. When data are averaged over larger spatial scales, the plume appears isothermal along its length, with constant temperature throughout its lifetime. However, an analysis of the differential emission measure at full resolution reveals the presence of higher-temperature plasma, indicating internal temperature structures within the plume. These results provide new insights into the formation, dynamics, and thermal properties of coronal plumes, placing tighter constraints on models to understand their thermodynamic evolution and potential role in the solar wind.

Compositional Metrics of Fast and Slow Alfvénic Solar Wind Emerging from Coronal Holes and Their Boundaries

We seek to understand the composition and variability of fast solar wind (FSW) and slow Alfvénic solar wind emerging from coronal holes (CHs). We leverage an opportune conjunction between Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe (PSP) during PSP Encounter 11 to include compositional diagnostics from the Solar Orbiter Heavy Ion Sensor as these variations provide crucial insights into the origin and nature of the solar wind. We use potential field source surface and magnetohydrodynamic models to connect the observed plasma at PSP and Solar Orbiter to its origin footpoint in the photosphere and compare these results with the in situ measurements. A very clear signature of a heliospheric current sheet crossing as evidenced by enhancements in low first ionization potential (FIP) elements, ion charge state ratios, proton density, low Alfvénicity, and polarity estimates validates the combination of modeling, data, and mapping. We identify two FSW streams emerging from small equatorial CHs with low ion charge state ratios, low FIP bias, high Alfvénicity, and low footpoint brightness, yet anomalously low alpha particle abundance for both streams. We identify high-Alfvénicity slow solar wind emerging from the overexpanded boundary of a CH having intermediate alpha abundance, high Alfvénicity, and dips in ion charge state ratios corresponding to CH boundaries. Through this comprehensive analysis, we highlight the power of multi-instrument conjunction studies in assessing the sources of the solar wind.

A disc wind origin for the optical spectra of dwarf novae in outburst

ABSTRACT Many high-state cataclysmic variables (CVs) exhibit blue-shifted absorption features in their ultraviolet (UV) spectra – a smoking-gun signature of outflows. However, the impact of these outflows on optical spectra remains much more uncertain. During its recent outburst, the eclipsing dwarf nova V455 And displayed strong optical emission lines whose cores were narrower than expected from a Keplerian disc. Here, we explore whether disc + wind models developed for matching UV observations of CVs can also account for these optical spectra. Importantly, V455 And was extremely bright at outburst maximum: the accretion rate implied by fitting the optical continuum with a standard disc model is $\dot{M}_{\rm acc} \simeq 10^{-7}~{\rm M}_\odot ~{\rm yr^{-1}}$. Allowing for continuum reprocessing in the outflow helps to relax this constraint. A disc wind can also broadly reproduce the optical emission lines, but only if the wind is (i) highly mass-loaded, with a mass-loss rate reaching $\dot{M}_{\rm wind} \simeq 0.4 \dot{M}_{\rm acc}$, and/or (ii) clumpy, with a volume filling factor $f_V \simeq 0.1$. The same models can describe the spectral evolution across the outburst, simply by lowering $\dot{M}_{\rm acc}$ and $\dot{M}_{\rm wind}$. Extending these models to lower inclinations and into the UV produces spectra consistent with those observed in face-on high-state CVs. We also find, for the first time in simulations of this type, P-Cygni-like absorption features in the Balmer series, as have been observed in both CVs and X-ray binaries. Overall, dense disc winds provide a promising framework for explaining multiple observational signatures seen in high-state CVs, but theoretical challenges persist.

Source Region of the Solar Wind: Statistics of the Doppler Velocities at the Chromosphere

The solar wind has been extensively studied recently with in situ observations, and the understanding of its counterpart near the solar surface has also progressed significantly. With the spectroscopic observations from the Chinese Hα Solar Explorer (CHASE), the chromospheric Dopplergram of the full solar disk is first obtained almost simultaneously. By investigating the statistics of the Doppler velocities at the chromosphere, we find that the coronal hole (CH) regions are dominated by Doppler blueshifts, with a stronger net magnetic flux region corresponding to smaller blueshift velocity. In addition to the average blueshift, the probability density of the Doppler shift is not symmetrically distributed but shows an excess at the redshift side, while the reference region does not show such an asymmetry. The redshift asymmetry may provide a possible clue for the interchange reconnection that might happen just above the chromosphere. By sampling the regions at the network boundaries in the CHs, the probability density is slightly enhanced at the parts of both larger blueshifts and redshifts compared with the result for the whole CH region. As the reference region also shows such enhancement, the crucial area associated with the origin of solar wind is not identified efficiently by sampling the overall network boundaries as demonstrated here. The present study shows the first attempt at interpreting the origin of solar wind in the transient CHs based on the CHASE spectroscopic observations, and a combination of full-disk and high-resolution observations is helpful in the future for firmly understanding the source region of solar wind.

Global Coronal Plasma Diagnostics Based on Multislit Extreme-ultraviolet Spectroscopy

Full-disk spectroscopic observations of the solar corona are highly desired to forecast solar eruptions and their impact on planets and to uncover the origin of solar wind. In this paper, we introduce a new multislit design (five slits) to obtain extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) spectra simultaneously. The selected spectrometer wavelength range (184–197 Å) contains several bright EUV lines that can be used for spectral diagnostics. The multislit approach offers an unprecedented way to efficiently obtain the global spectral data but the ambiguity from different slits should be resolved. Using a numerical simulation of the global corona, we primarily concentrate on the optimization of the disambiguation process, with the objective of extracting decomposed spectral information of six primary lines. This subsequently facilitates a comprehensive series of plasma diagnostics, including density (Fe xii 195.12/186.89 Å), Doppler velocity (Fe xii 193.51 Å), line width (Fe xii 193.51 Å), and temperature diagnostics (Fe viii 185.21 Å, Fe x 184.54 Å, Fe xi 188.22 Å, and Fe xii 193.51 Å). We find a good agreement between the forward modeling parameters and the inverted results at the initial eruption stage of a coronal mass ejection, indicating the robustness of the decomposition method and its immense potential for global monitoring of the solar corona.

Origin and Properties of the Near-subsonic Solar Wind Observed by Parker Solar Probe

We identify and examine the solar wind intervals near the sonic critical point (i.e., M S ∼ 1) observed by the Parker Solar Probe. The near-subsonic wind intervals show similar properties: a low density, an extremely low velocity, a low proton temperature, and essentially no magnetic field deflections compared with the surrounding solar wind. The extremely low velocity is the primary contributor to the near crossing of the sonic critical point rather than the sound speed, which is roughly constant in these intervals. Source tracing with a potential-field source-surface model suggests that the near subsonic intervals all connect to the boundaries inside coronal holes. Heliospheric current sheet (HCS) and partial HCS crossings around the near subsonic intervals indicate that the near subsonic wind is a transition layer between the slow and fast winds. The above scenario is consistent with the nature of the near-subsonic wind as a low-Mach-number boundary layer, which facilitates the crossing of the sonic critical point at 15–20 R S . Moreover, we find a dependence of the amplitude of switchbacks on the radial sonic Mach number. Magnetic field deflections essentially disappear near the sonic critical point, which suggests that switchbacks originate from above the sonic critical point.

JWST MIRI MRS Images of Disk Winds, Water, and CO in an Edge-on Protoplanetary Disk

We present JWST MIRI MRS observations of the edge-on protoplanetary disk around the young subsolar-mass star Tau 042021, acquired as part of the Cycle 1 GO program “Mapping Inclined Disk Astrochemical Signatures.” These data resolve the mid-IR spatial distributions of H2, revealing X-shaped emission extending to ∼200 au above the disk midplane with a semiopening angle of 35° ± 5°. We do not velocity-resolve the gas in the spectral images, but the measured semiopening angle of the H2 is consistent with a magnetohydrodynamic wind origin. A collimated, bipolar jet is seen in forbidden emission lines from [Ne ii], [Ne iii], [Ni ii], [Fe ii], [Ar ii], and [S iii]. Extended H2O and CO emission lines are also detected, reaching diameters of ∼90 and 190 au, respectively. Hot molecular emission is not expected at such radii, and we interpret its extended spatial distribution as scattering of inner disk molecular emission by dust grains in the outer disk surface. H i recombination lines, characteristic of inner disk accretion shocks, are similarly extended and are likely also scattered light from the innermost star–disk interface. Finally, we detect extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 11.3 μm cospatial with the scattered-light continuum, making this the first low-mass T Tauri star around which extended PAHs have been confirmed, to our knowledge. MIRI MRS line images of edge-on disks provide an unprecedented window into the outflow, accretion, and scattering processes within protoplanetary disks, allowing us to constrain the disk lifetimes and accretion and mass-loss mechanisms.

The Effect of Fast Solar Wind on Ion Distribution Downstream of Earth’s Bow Shock

The solar wind gets thermalized and compressed when crossing a planetary bow shock, forming the magnetosheath. The angle between the upstream magnetic field and the shock normal vector separates the quasi-parallel from the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath, significantly influencing the physical conditions in these regions. A reliable classification between both magnetosheath regions is of utmost importance since different phenomena and physical processes take place on each. The complexity of this classification is increased due to the origin and variability of the solar wind. Using measurements from the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission and OMNI data between 2008 and 2023, we demonstrate the importance of magnetosheath classification across various solar wind plasma origins. We focus on investigating the ion energy fluxes in the high-energy range for each solar wind type, which typically serves as an indicator for foreshock activity and thus separating the quasi-parallel from quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. Dividing the data set into different regimes reveals that fast solar wind plasma originating from coronal holes causes exceptionally high-energy ion fluxes even in the quasi-perpendicular environment. This stands in stark contrast to all other solar wind types, highlighting that magnetosheath classification is inherently biased if not all types of solar wind are considered in the classification. Combining knowledge of solar wind origins and structures with shock and magnetosheath research thus contributes to an improved magnetosheath characterization. This is particularly valuable in big-data machine-learning applications within heliophysics, which requires clean and verified data sets for optimal performance.

The Non-Thermal Radio Emissions of the Solar Transition Region and the Proposal of an Observational Regime

The transition region is a very thin but most peculiar layer in the solar atmosphere located between the solar chromosphere and the corona. It is a key region for understanding coronal heating, solar eruption triggers, and the origin of solar winds. Here, almost all physical parameters (density, temperature, and magnetic fields) have the maximum gradient. Therefore, this region should be highly dynamic, including fast energy releasing and transporting, plasma heating, and particle accelerating. The physical processes can be categorized into two classes: thermal and non-thermal processes. Thermal processes can be observed at ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths via multi-wavelength images. Non-thermal processes accelerate non-thermal electrons and produce radio emissions via the gyrosynchrotron mechanism resulting from the interaction between the non-thermal electrons and magnetic fields. The frequency range spans from several GHz to beyond 100 GHz, in great number of bursts with narrowband, millisecond lifetime, rapid frequency drifting rates, and being referred to as transition region small-scale microwave bursts (TR-SMBs). This work proposes a new type of Solar Ultra-wide Broadband Millimeter-wave Spectrometer (SUBMS) that can be used to observe TR-SMBs. From SUBMS observations, we can derive rich dynamic information about the transition region, such as information about non-thermal energy release and propagation, the flows of plasma and energetic particles, the magnetic fields and their variations, the generation and transportation of various waves, and the formation and evolution of the source regions of solar eruptions. Such an instrument can actually detect the non-thermal signals in the transition region during no flare as well as the eruptive high-energy processes during solar flares.

Local Controls on Near‐Surface Glacier Cooling Under Warm Atmospheric Conditions

AbstractThe near‐surface boundary layer can mediate the response of mountain glaciers to external climate, cooling the overlying air and promoting a density‐driven glacier wind. The fundamental processes are conceptually well understood, though the magnitudes of cooling and presence of glacier winds are poorly quantified in space and time, increasing the forcing uncertainty for melt models. We utilize a new data set of on‐glacier meteorological measurements on three neighboring glaciers in the Swiss Alps to explore their distinct response to regional climate under the extreme 2022 summer. We find that synoptic wind origins and local terrain modifications, not only glacier size, play an important role in the ability of a glacier to cool the near‐surface air. Warm air intrusions from valley or synoptically‐driven winds onto the glacier can occur between ∼19% and 64% of the time and contribute between 3% and 81% of the total sensible heat flux to the surface during warm afternoon hours, depending on the fetch of the glacier flowline and its susceptibility to boundary layer erosion. In the context of extreme summer warmth, indicative of future conditions, the boundary layer cooling (up to 6.5°C cooler than its surroundings) and resultant katabatic wind flow are highly heterogeneous between the study glaciers, highlighting the complex and likely non‐linear response of glaciers to an uncertain future.

Solar wind entry into Mercury’s magnetosphere: Simulation results for the second swingby of BepiColombo

Context. We use a global 3D hybrid plasma model to investigate the interaction between Mercury’s magnetosphere and the solar wind for the second BepiColombo swingby, evaluate magnetospheric regions, and study the typical energy profile of protons. Aims. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of solar wind entry and analyze simulated plasma data along a trajectory using BepiColombo swingby 2 conditions, with the goal of enhancing our comprehension of measurement data and potentially providing forecasts for future swingbys. Methods. To model Mercury’s plasma environment, we used the hybrid code AIKEF and developed a method to extract the particle (ion) data in order to compute the proton energy spectrum along the trajectory of BepiColombo during its second Mercury swingby on June 23, 2022. We evaluate magnetopause and bow shock stand-off distances under average upstream solar wind conditions with the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) condition derived from the BepiColombo magnetic field measurements during the second Mercury swingby. Results. We found that the magnetosheath on the quasi-perpendicular (dusk) side of the bow shock is thicker than that on the quasi-parallel (dawn) side, where a foreshock is formed. Multiple plasma populations can be extracted from our modeled energy spectra that assist in identifying magnetospheric regions. We observed protons of solar wind origin entering Mercury’s magnetosphere. Their energies range from a few electron volts in the magnetosphere up to 10 keV in the magnetosheath.

Characterizing Solar Spicules and their Role in Solar Wind Production using Machine Learning and the Hough Transform

AbstractSolar winds originate from the Sun and can be classified as fast or slow. Fast solar winds come from coronal holes at the solar poles, while slow solar winds may originate from the equatorial region or streamers. Spicules are jet-like structures observed in the Sun’s chromosphere and transition region. Some spicules exhibit rotating motion, potentially indicating vorticity and Alfvén waves. Machine learning and the Hough algorithm were used to analyze over 3000 frames of the Sun, identifying spicules and their characteristics. The study found that rotating spicules, accounting for 21% at the poles and 4% at the equator, play a role in energy transfer to the upper solar atmosphere. The observations suggest connections between spicules, mini-loops, magnetic reconnection, and the acceleration of fast solar winds. Understanding these small-scale structures is crucial for comprehending the origin and heating of the fast solar wind.

In-situ measurement techniques for space plasmas based on floating-mode avalanche photodiode and electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer

New instrumental developments based on a floating-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) combined with an electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer were conducted for comprehensive and accurate plasma measurements in wide energy ranges in future space plasma explorations. The advantages of APD, namely, rough energy analysis capability, low dark count, compact dimension, and lightweight, are promising as an advanced in-situ measurement technique. We conducted several types of electron/ion beamline experiments under different floating voltage conditions in order to investigate the properties of particle detections and energy analyses using the floating/normal-mode APD combined with/without the electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer. The electron/ion post-acceleration associated with the operation of APD in floating mode reduces the lowermost energies detectable by APD. Applying a high voltage of ∼ ±5 kV to electrostatically float APD in the combination with an electrostatic analyzer, we can attain wide energy coverages (∼ eV – 100's of keV for electrons, ∼ 5 keV/q – 100's of keV/q for ions) with proper energy resolutions, noise reduction due to double energy discrimination, and ion mass discrimination capability particularly to distinguish energetic He2+ components of solar wind origin. This technique would also be useful to distinguish the terrestrial-origin O+ from H+ in energies of > a few tens of keV if the ions outflowing from the Earth’s upper atmosphere significantly affect the plasma population after some energization processes in the magnetosphere. When these advanced in-situ measurement techniques are employed in future exploration missions, wide-energy/angular distributions of both electrons and ions in space could be captured simultaneously by a single sensor head with triple-dome structure on spin-stabilized satellite.

New Evidence on the Origin of Solar Wind Microstreams/Switchbacks

Microstreams are fluctuations in the solar wind speed and density associated with polarity-reversing folds in the magnetic field (also denoted switchbacks). Despite their long heritage, the origin of these microstreams/switchbacks remains poorly understood. For the first time, we investigated periodicities in microstreams during Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Encounter 10 to understand their origin. Our analysis was focused on the inbound corotation interval on 2021 November 19–21, while the spacecraft dove toward a small area within a coronal hole (CH). Solar Dynamics Observatory remote-sensing observations provide rich context for understanding the PSP in situ data. Extreme ultraviolet images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly reveal numerous recurrent jets occurring within the region that was magnetically connected to PSP during intervals that contained microstreams. The periods derived from the fluctuating radial velocities in the microstreams (approximately 3, 5, 10, and 20 minutes) are consistent with the periods measured in the emission intensity of the jetlets at the base of the CH plumes, as well as in larger coronal jets and in the plume fine structures. Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager magnetograms reveal the presence of myriad embedded bipoles, which are known sources of reconnection-driven jets on all scales. Simultaneous enhancements in the PSP proton flux and ionic (3He, 4He, Fe, O) composition during the microstreams further support the connection with jetlets and jets. In keeping with prior observational and numerical studies of impulsive coronal activity, we conclude that quasiperiodic jets generated by interchange/breakout reconnection at CH bright points and plume bases are the most likely sources of the microstreams/switchbacks observed in the solar wind.

Slow Solar Wind Connection Science during Solar Orbiter’s First Close Perihelion Passage

The Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (Slow Wind SOOP) was developed to utilize the extensive suite of remote-sensing and in situ instruments on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission to answer significant outstanding questions regarding the origin and formation of the slow solar wind. The Slow Wind SOOP was designed to link remote-sensing and in situ measurements of slow wind originating at open–closed magnetic field boundaries. The SOOP ran just prior to Solar Orbiter’s first close perihelion passage during two remote-sensing windows (RSW1 and RSW2) between 2022 March 3–6 and 2022 March 17–22, while Solar Orbiter was at respective heliocentric distances of 0.55–0.51 and 0.38–0.34 au from the Sun. Coordinated observation campaigns were also conducted by Hinode and IRIS. The magnetic connectivity tool was used, along with low-latency in situ data and full-disk remote-sensing observations, to guide the target pointing of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter targeted an active region complex during RSW1, the boundary of a coronal hole, and the periphery of a decayed active region during RSW2. Postobservation analysis using the magnetic connectivity tool, along with in situ measurements from MAG and SWA/PAS, showed that slow solar wind originating from two out of three of the target regions arrived at the spacecraft with velocities between ∼210 and 600 km s−1. The Slow Wind SOOP, despite presenting many challenges, was very successful, providing a blueprint for planning future observation campaigns that rely on the magnetic connectivity of Solar Orbiter.

Evidence of Electron Acceleration via Nonlinear Resonant Interactions with Whistler-mode Waves at Foreshock Transients

Shock waves are sites of intense plasma heating and charged particle acceleration. In collisionless solar wind plasmas, such acceleration is attributed to shock drift or Fermi acceleration but also to wave–particle resonant interactions. We examine the latter for the case of electrons interacting with one of the most commonly observed wave modes in shock environments, the whistler mode. Such waves are particularly intense in dynamic, localized regions upstream of shocks, arising from the kinetic interaction of the shock with solar wind discontinuities. These regions, known as foreshock transients, are also sites of significant electron acceleration by mechanisms not fully understood. Using in situ observations of such transients in the Earth’s foreshock, we demonstrate that intense whistler-mode waves can resonate nonlinearly with >25 eV solar wind electrons and accelerate them to ∼100–500 eV. This acceleration is mostly effective for the 50–250 eV energy range, where the accelerated electron population exhibits a characteristic butterfly pitch-angle distribution consistent with theoretical predictions. Such nonlinear resonant acceleration is very fast, implying that this mechanism may be important for injecting suprathermal electrons of solar wind origin into the shock region, where they can undergo further, efficient shock-drift acceleration to even higher energies.

Variations, seasonal shifts and ambient conditions affecting airborne microorganisms and particles at a southeastern Mediterranean site

Airborne particles are known climate drivers whilst the impact of microorganisms is investigated with increasing interest. The particle number size distribution (0.012–10 μm), PM10 concentrations, bacterial communities and cultivable microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) were measured simultaneously throughout a yearly campaign at a suburban location at the city of Chania (Greece). Most of the bacteria identified belonged to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes, with Sphingomonas having a dominant partition at the genus level. Statistically lower concentrations of all microorganisms and bacterial species richness during the warm season due to the direct impact of temperature and solar radiation suggested notable seasonality. On the other hand, statistically significant higher concentrations of particles <0.1 μm during the cold season was attributed to indirect seasonality with enrichment due to heating emissions. Analysis of wind direction data demonstrated that a land prevailing origin of air resulted in statistically higher microorganism concentrations, bacterial species richness and diversity, indicating the continental environment as a dominant contributor in shaping airborne microbial load (compared to a marine air origin). Likewise, statistically higher concentration of particles <0.1 μm were measured during a land prevailing air origin as a direct result of nanoparticle enrichment from anthropogenic activities. Long-range transport of both particles and biological components was evidenced by the increased concentrations of cultivable microorganisms (with a distinct contribution at sizes >1 μm), supermicron particles and bacterial species richness during Sahara dust events. Factorial analysis of the impact of 7 environmental parameters on bacterial communities profile has identified temperature, solar radiation, wind origin and Sahara dust as strong contributors. Increased correlations between airborne microorganisms and coarser particles (0.5–10 μm) suggested resuspension, especially during stronger winds and moderate ambient humidity, whereas, increased relative humidity during stagnant conditions acted as inhibitor for suspension.