Open AccessCorrelation between the solar wind dynamic and static pressures
Author(s) -
Kawano H.,
Russell C. T.,
Newbury J. A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/1999ja900496
Subject(s) - dynamic pressure , solar wind , solar cycle , physics , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , coronal mass ejection , mechanics , plasma , quantum mechanics
In this paper we examine the correlation between the solar wind dynamic and static pressures, as a function of solar cycle phase, by using the hourly data of solar wind parameters at the National Space Science Data Center OMNIWeb. The correlation is important in terms of the solar wind control of the diameter of the distant magnetotail and other situations in which solar wind dynamic and static pressures may separately play a role. We find that the correlation coefficient between the two pressures is constantly high (almost always larger than 0.7) and shows little dependence on the solar cycle. Thus, even though the distant tail shape may be controlled by the static pressure of the solar wind, the shape should still be well correlated with the solar wind dynamic pressure, through the correlation between the solar wind dynamic and static pressures.