Abstract
Wind-ACE solar wind correlations, 1999: An approach through spectral analysis
Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, USA
Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, USA
Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire, USA
Solar wind correlations are investigated with a spectral analysis. We employed magnetic field and plasma data from Wind and
ACE for a whole year (1999), when the inter-spacecraft separation varied over a wide range in all directions. We derived the
amplitude ratio, coherence, and phase lag for periods between 16 and 2048 min, which allowed us to compare the dependence
of the correlation on periods. The amplitude ratio lies typically between
and
in the whole period range, while the coherence is only large for periods longer than ∼128 min. When the coherence decreases
at short periods the phase lag becomes random, indicating that it is hard to predict the arrival time of fluctuations over
such short periods at downstream points. The power spectral density of short-period fluctuations follows a −5/3 power law
variation with frequency, indicative of turbulence. The average values of the coherence depend on the spacecraft separation
in the direction parallel to the Sun-Earth line as well as in the direction perpendicular to it. The coherence scale length
parallel to the Sun-Earth line is estimated as 125 RE, while that perpendicular to it is 44 RE. One possible reason for this difference might be the convective effect of the solar wind.
Published 9 November 2002.
Citation: (2002), Wind-ACE solar wind correlations, 1999: An approach through spectral analysis, J. Geophys. Res., 107(A11), 1355, doi:10.1029/2002JA009251.
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