Highly Polarized Type III Storm Observed with Parker Solar Probe

Abstract

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft observed a large coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2022 September 5, shortly before closest approach during the 13th PSP solar encounter. For several days following the CME, PSP detected a storm of Type III radio bursts. Stokes parameter analysis of the radio emission indicates that the Type III storm was highly circularly polarized (with fractional polarization up to similar to 0.4). Left-hand circularly polarized (LHC) emission dominated at the start of the storm, transitioning to right-hand circularly polarized (RHC) emission at the crossing of the heliospheric current sheet on September 6. We analyze the properties of this Type III storm. The drift rate of the Type IIIs indicates a constant beam speed of similar to 0.1c, typical for Type III-producing electron beams. The sense of polarization is consistent with fundamental emission generated primarily in the O-mode. The stable and well organized post-CME magnetic field neatly separates the LHC- and RHC-dominated intervals of the storm, with minimal overlap between the senses of polarization. The proximity of PSP to the source region, both in radial distance and in heliographic longitude, makes this event an ideal case study to connect in situ plasma measurements with remote observations of radio emission.