heliospheric current sheet

E941946

The heliospheric current sheet is a vast, wavy surface in the solar system where the Sun’s rotating magnetic field causes a thin electric current layer that separates regions of opposite magnetic polarity in the solar wind.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf astrophysical structure
current sheet
plasma structure
affects modulation of galactic cosmic rays at 1 AU
alignedWith solar magnetic equator
associatedWith interplanetary magnetic field
solar wind
boundaryBetween magnetic sectors of the solar wind
composedOf ionized plasma
discoveredBy spacecraft observations
extendsFrom near the Sun
extendsTo outer heliosphere
governedBy magnetohydrodynamics
hasCause Sun's rotating magnetic field
hasCurrentDensity on the order of 10^-10 A/m^2 near Earth
hasDiscoveryEra space age
hasElectricCurrentDirection azimuthal
hasMagneticPolarityChange across the sheet GENERATED
hasPhysicalProperty thin electric current layer
hasPolarityReversalFrequency approximately every 11 years
hasReferenceFrame heliographic coordinates
hasSectorStructure four-sector configuration during some solar cycle phases
two-sector configuration during some solar cycle phases
hasShape wavy surface
hasSynonym HCS NERFINISHED
interplanetary current sheet
hasTemporalVariation changes with the solar cycle
hasThickness on the order of 10,000 kilometers near Earth
hasWarping ballerina skirt shape
influences propagation of cosmic rays
solar energetic particle transport
structure of the interplanetary magnetic field
isDynamic true
isGlobalStructure true
locatedIn solar system NERFINISHED
observedBy ACE spacecraft NERFINISHED
Parker Solar Probe NERFINISHED
Pioneer spacecraft NERFINISHED
Solar Orbiter NERFINISHED
Ulysses spacecraft NERFINISHED
Voyager spacecraft NERFINISHED
Wind spacecraft NERFINISHED
partOf heliosphere NERFINISHED
relatedTo solar magnetic polarity reversal
separates regions of opposite magnetic polarity in the solar wind
studiedIn heliophysics
space plasma physics
tiltedRelativeTo solar rotational equator

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.