Hydrodynamic Classification of Solar Wind Flows

Abstract

At the present time, there is no generally accepted classification of the solar wind flows. There are various approaches to this problem depending on the goal of the study. In our paper, we propose the binary classification of the solar wind types by the main hydrodynamic parameters (velocity, temperature, and density) based on the statistical analysis of the solar wind. The analysis of the OMNIWeb one-minute data is performed for the period from 1996 to 2017, which encompasses solar cycle 23 and current solar cycle 24. Eight types of the solar wind are distinguished: fast-hot-dense, fast-hot-rarefied, fast-cold-dense, fast-cold-rarefied, slow-hot-dense, slow-hot-rarefied, slow-cold-dense, slow-cold-rarefied. These types occur with different frequency and are the consequences of different manifestations of solar activity. Of particular interest are the solar wind flows, the parameters of which deviate from the averages most significantly.