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Abstract Solar wind discontinuities (SWDs) are kinetic plasma structures that significantly contribute to the spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations and solar wind heating. Using Juno spacecraft data from 1 AU to 5 AU, combined with measurements from Wind, ARTEMIS, and STEREO at 1 AU, we disentangle spatial (radial) and temporal (solar activity) variations of SWD properties. We find that (a) the occurrence rate of SWDs decreases with radial distance from the Sun, following a relationship; (b) the SWD thickness increases with radial distance, but when normalized to the ion inertial length, the thickness remains almost unchanged within 1, 5AU; (c) the SWD current density decreases with radial distance, but when normalized to the Alfvén current (, where symbols have their usual definitions), the current density remains almost unchanged within 1, 5AU; (d) the probability distributions of SWD normalized thickness and current density remain constant over time (in the 5 year period of Juno cruise phase) at 1 AU. We discuss these results in the context of theories of the origin and dynamics of SWDs.
Zhang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.