Possible evidence for coronal Alfven waves

Abstract

A statistical ray analysis is used to analyze observed electron content and Faraday rotation fluctuations in the 2.29 GHz S band carrier signals of the two Helios spacecraft probing the magnetic and density structures of the solar corona inside 0.05 AU. It is found that (1) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations cannot be due only to electron density fluctuations in the corona, unless the coronal magnetic field is about five times stronger than suggested by current estimates; and (2) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations are consistent with the hypothesis that the sun radiates Alfven waves whose energies are great enough to heat and accelerate high-speed solar wind streams.