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    Generation of Proton Beams at Switchback Boundary-like Rotational Discontinuities in the Solar Wind

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    Lin(2026a).pdf (8.677Mb)
    Authors
    Lin, R.
    Bacchini, F.
    He, J.
    Huang, K.
    Pezzini, L.
    Peng, J.
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    Discipline
    Physical sciences
    Subject
    Solar wind
    Alfven waves
    Space plasmas
    Audience
    Scientific
    Date
    2026
    Metadata
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    Description
    Alfvénic rotational discontinuities (RDs) are abundant in the inner heliosphere and can be used to model the boundary of switchbacks, i.e., Alfvénic magnetic kinks. To investigate the effects of RDs on proton kinetics, we model a pair of switchback-boundary-like RDs with a hybrid Particle-In-Cell approach in a 2D system. We find that, at one of the boundary RDs, a significant population of protons remains trapped over long times, creating a secondary beam-like component with temperature anisotropy T⊥/T∥ ≳ 4 in the proton velocity distribution function that excites ion cyclotron waves within the downstream portion of the transition layer. Further analysis suggests that the static electric field in the vicinity of the RD is the key factor in trapping the protons. This work indicates that switchback boundaries could represent a viable environment for the creation of proton beams in the heliosphere; it also highlights the need to investigate RD substructures, especially the embedded current systems of interplanetary RDs. Finally, this paper underscores the importance of high-resolution observations of the solar wind velocity distributions around RDs.
    Citation
    Lin, R.; Bacchini, F.; He, J.; Huang, K.; Pezzini, L.; Peng, J. (2026). Generation of Proton Beams at Switchback Boundary-like Rotational Discontinuities in the Solar Wind. , The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 1000, Issue 2, A164, DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae3f1b.
    Identifiers
    uri: https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/14638
    doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae3f1b
    url: https://difusion.ulb.ac.be/vufind/Record/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/209709/Holdings
    Type
    article
    Peer-Review
    Yes
    Language
    eng
    Links
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