1. SLIDE SHOW 6. SOLAR WIND (Mariner 2, 1962)
ionized tail
dust tail
Observations of comets suggested solar outflow (Biermann).
Parker (1958) proposed supersonic expansion.
Confirmed in 1960s by spacecraft measurements
(Mariner 2, 1962)
Slow wind (300 km/s) Fast solar wind (700 km/s)
Where from ?

2. Movie

3. Corona, as seen from eclipse (1970)
“Helmet streamers”
low down confined by Sun’s B
- far out -- radial structures
Dark open regions reaching surface -- source of fast solar wind.

4. Corona varies in shape in solar cycle
Sunspot minimum
Sunspot maximum

5. From X-ray telescope – Skylab (1970s)
Open regions show up as dark Coronal holes
-- at poles in sunspot minimum
-- source of fast solar wind

6. Schematic of Global Corona (solar minimum):??

7. ULYSSES: The first space mission to orbit the Sun out of the ecliptic plane
Ulysses trajectory

8. ULYSSES: solar wind velocity (polar plot)
Background = composite image of the Sun from SOHO
Sunspot minimum
FAST Solar Wind
(700 km/s) in coronal holes
SLOW Solar Wind
(300 km/s) in equatorial streamers
Red = inward field
Blue = outward field

9. ULYSSES: cf first and second orbit
(s. min) (s. max)
Positive polarity B
Negative polarity B

10. From above: velocity is radial
Carries Sun’s B with it > spiral
{Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF)}

11. Characteristics of the interplanetary medium at the orbit of the Earth