Physical nature of the low-speed solar wind

In situ observations indicate that the low-speed wind is highly variable. It commonly originates on open field lines that thread coronal streamers in the vicinity of the magnetic equator, but transient ejections are also a source of low-speed flows on occasion. Close to the Sun a large flow shear probably is common at the interface between low- and high-speed flows. Near solar activity minimum low-speed flows are confined to a narrow band 40-45 degrees wide centered roughly on the solar equator, but near solar maximum low-speed flows may dominate at all heliographic latitudes.