Switchbacks as signatures of magnetic flux ropes generated by interchange reconnection in the corona. (arXiv:2009.05645v2 [astro-ph.SR] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Drake_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. F. Drake</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Agapitov_O/0/1/0/all/0/1">O. Agapitov</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Swisdak_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. Swisdak</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Badman_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">S. T. Badman</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bale_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">S. D. Bale</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Horbury_T/0/1/0/all/0/1">T. S. Horbury</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kasper_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Justin C. Kasper</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+MacDowall_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">R. J. MacDowall</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Mozer_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">F. S. Mozer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Phan_T/0/1/0/all/0/1">T. D. Phan</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Pulupa_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. Pulupa</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Szabo_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Szabo</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Velli_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. Velli</a>

The structure of magnetic flux ropes injected into the solar wind during
reconnection in the coronal atmosphere is explored with particle-in-cell
simulations and compared with in situ measurements of magnetic “switchbacks”
from the Parker Solar Probe. We suggest that multi-x-line reconnection between
open and closed flux in the corona injects flux ropes into the solar wind and
that these flux ropes convect outward over long distances before eroding due to
reconnection. Simulations that explore the magnetic structure of flux ropes in
the solar wind reproduce the following key features of the switchback
observations: a rapid rotation of the radial magnetic field into the transverse
direction, which is a consequence of reconnection with a strong guide field;
and the potential to reverse the radial field component. The potential
implication of the injection of large numbers of flux ropes in the coronal
atmosphere for understanding the generation of the solar wind is discussed.

The structure of magnetic flux ropes injected into the solar wind during
reconnection in the coronal atmosphere is explored with particle-in-cell
simulations and compared with in situ measurements of magnetic “switchbacks”
from the Parker Solar Probe. We suggest that multi-x-line reconnection between
open and closed flux in the corona injects flux ropes into the solar wind and
that these flux ropes convect outward over long distances before eroding due to
reconnection. Simulations that explore the magnetic structure of flux ropes in
the solar wind reproduce the following key features of the switchback
observations: a rapid rotation of the radial magnetic field into the transverse
direction, which is a consequence of reconnection with a strong guide field;
and the potential to reverse the radial field component. The potential
implication of the injection of large numbers of flux ropes in the coronal
atmosphere for understanding the generation of the solar wind is discussed.

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