Speaker
Description
Solar Orbiter executed its first dedicated fast wind Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (SOOP) in October 2023 to investigate the origins and release mechanisms of the fast solar wind. A high-speed stream reached Solar Orbiter (0.45 AU, –32°) on 24 October, lasting several days, and was observed slightly earlier at Parker Solar Probe (0.65 AU, –71°) on 22 October. Ballistic backmapping confirms that both spacecraft were magnetically connected to the same large equatorial coronal hole targeted by Solar Orbiter’s high-resolution remote sensing instruments. In situ measurements reveal multiple patches of magnetic switchbacks within the fast wind, with wavelet analysis showing periodicities on 3–15 h and <1 h timescales. These will be compared to the periodicities of coronal bright points and jets observed in SPICE and EUI data. The same stream was later detected at 1 AU by ACE on 28 October, where its arrival drove a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm. These results demonstrate the multi-scale structuring of fast solar wind streams and emphasise the value of off-Sun–Earth line observations for forecasting coronal hole–driven solar wind, directly motivating ESA’s upcoming Vigil mission at L5.
