articleThe Astrophysical JournalJan 21, 2026GOLD OA

Fluid and Kinetic Properties of the Near-Sun Heliospheric Current Sheet

NFNaïs FargetteJPJonathan P. EastwoodTDT. D. PhanLMLorenzo MatteiniLFLuca Franci
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Abstract

Abstract The heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is an important large-scale structure of the heliosphere, and, for the first time, the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission enables us to study its properties statistically, close to the Sun. We visually identify the 39 HCS crossings measured by PSP below 50 R ⊙ during encounters 6–21, and investigate the occurrence and properties of magnetic reconnection, the behavior of the spectral properties of the turbulent energy cascade, and the occurrence of kinetic instabilities at the HCS. We find that 82% of the HCS crossings present signatures of reconnection jets, showing that the HCS is continuously reconnecting close to the Sun. The proportion of inward and outward jets…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Magnetic reconnection
  • Current sheet
  • Kinetic energy
  • Turbulence
  • Instability
  • Plasma
  • Jet (fluid)
  • Solar wind
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Affordable and clean energy
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