Validity of using Elsässer variables to study the interaction of compressible solar wind fluctuations with a coronal mass ejection

¹ Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64 00014 Helsinki, Finland
e-mail: chaitanya.sishtla@helsinki.fi
² Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, Mathematics Department, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B Bus 2400, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Received: 17 November 2023
Accepted: 20 January 2024

Abstract

Context. Alfvénic fluctuations, as modelled by the non-linear interactions of Alfvén waves of various scales, are seen to dominate solar wind turbulence. However, there is also a non-negligible component of non-Alfvénic fluctuations. The Elsässer formalism, which is central to the study of Alfvénic turbulence due to its ability to differentiate between parallel and anti-parallel Alfvén waves, cannot strictly separate wavemodes in the presence of compressive magnetoacoustic waves. In this study, we analyse the deviations generated in the Elsässer formalism as density fluctuations are naturally generated through the propagation of a linearly polarised Alfvén wave. The study was performed in the context of a coronal mass ejection (CME) propagating through the solar wind, which enables the creation of two solar wind regimes, pristine wind and a shocked CME sheath, where the Elsässer formalism can be evaluated.

Aims. We studied the deviations of the Elsässer formalism in separating parallel and anti-parallel components of Alfvénic solar wind perturbations generated by small-amplitude density fluctuations. Subsequently, we evaluated how the deviations cause a misinterpretation of the composition of waves through the parameters of cross helicity and reflection coefficient.

Methods. We used an ideal 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic model with an adiabatic equation of state. An Alfvén pump wave was injected into the quiet solar wind by perturbing the transverse magnetic field and velocity components. This wave subsequently generates density fluctuations through the ponderomotive force. A CME was injected by inserting a flux-rope modelled as a magnetic island into the quasi-steady solar wind.

Results. The presence of density perturbations creates a ≈10% deviation in the Elsässer variables and reflection coefficient for the Alfvén waves as well as a deviation of ≈0.1 in the cross helicity in regions containing both parallel and anti-parallel fluctuations.