Waiting-time distributions of magnetic discontinuities: clustering or Poisson process?

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2009 Oct;80(4 Pt 2):046401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.80.046401. Epub 2009 Oct 12.

Abstract

Using solar wind data from the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft, with the support of Hall magnetohydrodynamic simulations, the waiting-time distributions of magnetic discontinuities have been analyzed. A possible phenomenon of clusterization of these discontinuities is studied in detail. We perform a local Poisson's analysis in order to establish if these intermittent events are randomly distributed or not. Possible implications about the nature of solar wind discontinuities are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Electromagnetic Fields*
  • Magnetics*
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Nonlinear Dynamics*
  • Poisson Distribution
  • Time Factors*