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EDP Sciences, Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, (2), p. A02, 2012

DOI: 10.1051/swsc/2012003

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Near-Earth solar wind flows and related geomagnetic activity during more than four solar cycles (1963–2011)

Journal article published in 2012 by Ian G. Richardson ORCID, Hilary V. Cane
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

In past studies, we classified the near-Earth solar wind into three basic flow types based on inspection of solar wind plasma and magnetic field parameters in the OMNI database and additional data (e.g., geomagnetic indices, energetic particle, and cosmic ray observations). These flow types are: (1) High-speed streams associated with coronal holes at the Sun, (2) Slow, interstream solar wind, and (3) Transient flows originating with coronal mass ejections at the Sun, including interplanetary coronal mass ejections and the associated upstream shocks and post-shock regions. The solar wind classification in these previous studies commenced with observations in 1972. In the present study, as well as updating this classification to the end of 2011, we have extended the classification back to 1963, the beginning of near-Earth solar wind observations, thereby encompassing the complete solar cy-cles 20 to 23 and the ascending phase of cycle 24. We discuss the cycle-to-cycle variations in near-Earth solar wind structures and the related geomagnetic activity over more than four solar cycles, updating some of the results of our earlier studies.