Nature of transonic sub-Alfvénic turbulence and density fluctuations in the near-Sun solar wind

Insights from magnetohydrodynamic simulations and nearly incompressible models

¹ Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
² Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
³ Department of Space Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
⁴ Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA

^★ Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 2 December 2025
Accepted: 8 March 2026

Abstract

Context. Recent Parker Solar Probe (PSP) measurements have revealed that solar wind (SW) turbulence transits from a subsonic to a transonic regime near the Sun, while remaining sub-Alfvénic. These observations call for a revision of the existing SW models, where turbulence is considered to be both subsonic and sub-Alfvénic.

Aims. In this work, we introduce a new magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of transonic sub-Alfvénic turbulence (TsAT).

Methods. We used 3D MHD simulations initialized with parameters measured by PSP to investigate the properties of the new near-Sun SW transonic turbulent regime. We then derived a reduced set of MHD equations in the transonic sub-Alfvénic limit to interpret our numerical results.

Results. Our TsAT model shows that turbulence is effectively nearly incompressible (NI) and has a 2D + slab (quasi-2D) geometry not only in the subsonic limit, but also in the transonic regime, as long as it remains sub-Alfvénic, a condition essentially enforced everywhere in the heliosphere by the strong local magnetic field. These predictions are consistent with 3D MHD simulations, showing that transonic turbulence is dominated by low-frequency quasi-2D incompressible structures, while compressible fluctuations are a minor component corresponding to low-frequency slow modes and high-frequency fast modes.

Conclusions. Our new TsAT model extends existing NI theories of turbulence, and is potentially relevant for the theoretical and numerical modeling of space and astrophysical plasmas, including the near-Sun SW, the solar corona, and the interstellar medium.