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arXiv · 2610.34518

Magnetic switchback development from the evolution of torsional Alfvén waves

Peter F Wyper·Etienne Pariat·Lorenzo Matteini·Jonathan Squire·Jade Touresse
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Abstract

Magnetic switchbacks are mostly Alfvénic local deflections, or even reversals, of the ambient magnetic field of the solar wind. Despite intense research their origin remains unclear and is highly debated. Here we describe a new simulation study demonstrating how torsional Alfvén waves can evolve into switchbacks. We use surface rotational motions to launch torsional Alfvén waves into the super-radially expanding magnetic field of a coronal hole. The simulations demonstrate that in such an expanding wind, the waves initially steepen as they propagate while also inducing a cylindrical parallel plasma jet. A combination of shear from the jet and wave evolution under the constraint of approximate spherical polarisation ($|\mathbf{B}|\approx const.$) then leads to the formation of switchbacks in a ring configuration. We explore the 3D nature of the switchbacks, how and where they from, and present scalings for their peak deflection and parallel and perpendicular length scales. We also derive an expression for switchback deflection in the linear regime which we contrast against our results. The results are discussed in relation to recent observations and previous switchback formation studies.

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Peter F Wyper, Etienne Pariat, Lorenzo Matteini, Jonathan Squire, Jade Touresse. 2026-10-25. Magnetic switchback development from the evolution of torsional Alfvén waves. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.34518

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