Reconstruction of magnetic flux ropes in the solar wind

We recover two-dimensional magnetic structures of small-scale flux ropes in the solar wind from WIND spacecraft data by solving the plane Grad-Shafranov equation as a spatial initial Value problem. The cross-sections of two recovered flux ropes show nested non-circular loops of transverse held lines rather than concentric circles. The expected helical structure is recovered, albeit with significant distortions from axial symmetry. The rope structures are self-consistent, non-force free, magnetohydrostatic equilibria. Their orientations are determined by a novel technique.