Solar Wind Statistics at 1 AU: Alfven Speed and Plasma Beta

The phenomenon of MHD wave refraction is useful in interpreting the properties of the magnetic fluctuations in certain parcels of solar wind. In the physics of MHD wave refraction, variations in the Alfvén speed V_Alf play a dominant role. Here, we compile statistics of the 1-min averages of V_Alf at the location of the ACE spacecraft during its first 5 years of operation. We find that monthly distributions of V_Alf are close to log-normal, with standard deviations σ_V as small as 0.11 in the logarithm. Variations in the monthly mean V_Alf are correlated significantly with sunspot number. We also compile monthly distributions of the plasma β parameter. The distributions of both V_Alf and β are significantly narrower than they would be if the various solar wind parameters were statistically independent. In the T_p–V_Alf plane, we find a zone of avoidance at low V_Alf: for V_Alf ≤10 – 15 km/s, there are no samples in the 1-min data that are cooler than T_p = 10 000 – 15 000 K. This feature can be understood in the context of MHD wave refraction, although other explanations are also possible.