Whistler wave properties during PSP's encounter 1 - First results from SCM cross-spectral data
Abstract
Whistler waves were widely observed during the first solar encounters of Parker Solar Probe. The interaction of these electromagnetic waves with the strahl electrons is known to affect the heat flux and PSP brings the first opportunity to study them in the young solar wind. We present several examples of whistler wave analysis during PSP's 1st encounter. We mainly use cross spectra (full spectral matrices from 20 Hz - 4.5 kHz) of the magnetic field, as measured by the Search-Coil Magnetometer (SCM) that is part of the FIELDS experiment. In this study, we 1) check the spectral matrices by comparing them to waveforms (for the few low-frequency whistlers), 2) determine their wave properties (planarity, ellipticity, polarization) and 3) connect these properties to their signatures in the electric field (EFI electric field antennas) and 4) eventually determine the wave characteristics using the solar wind magnetic field (MAG Fluxgate Magnetometer) and density from QTN (Quasi-Thermal Noise from FIELDS) and SWEAP observations.