Identification of the sources of the high-speed and low-speed streams of the solar wind

Abstract

[1]  An identification of high-speed and low-speed solar wind streams is performed on the basis of the ground-based data and space observations. The results show that the slow solar wind streams are generated in the regions with increased density of the coronal structures. Such regions are arch structures of active regions and at structures the boundaries of coronal holes. All layers of the solar atmosphere down to the photosphere are involved in the formation of the high-speed streams. The maximum velocities of the solar wind are observed in the cases when coronal holes are located in the vicinity of active regions and when coronal holes are registered simultaneously in the He I 10830 Å line and X-ray wavelength. The structure of the photosphere magnetic field in such regions differs significantly from the structure of quiet regions.

Received 22 June 2004; revised 19 May 2005; accepted 6 June 2005; published 18 October 2005.

Keywords: Solar wind; Coronal holes; Photosphere magnetic fields.

Index Terms: 2169 Interplanetary Physics: Solar wind sources; 2164 Interplanetary Physics: Solar wind plasma; 7511 Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Coronal holes.