Relationship between discontinuities, magnetic holes, magnetic decreases, and nonlinear Alfvén waves: Ulysses observations over the solar poles

Ulysses magnetic field data are used to study magnetic field microstructure over the solar poles. Magnetic holes (MHs) and magnetic decreases (MDs) are found to be located at the phase‐steepened edges of nonlinear Alfvén waves. The phase‐steepened edges (directional discontinuities) occur in time‐coincidence with MHs, one edge of an MD, or throughout the whole MD. These MH‐ and MD‐related discontinuities have both rotational and compressive properties, perhaps explaining why many directional discontinuities detected in interplanetary space have non‐MHD properties. The dispersive, dissipative and compressive features of nonlinear Alfvén waves may be important for the heating of the solar corona.