Related module pages:

A Public Outreach Module:
Solar Wind, Genesis, and the Planets

How does a Solar Max affect the solar wind?

The activity of the solar magnetic fields during a Solar Max cycle affects the magnetic fields carried by the Solar Wind. Particular emissions from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can travel outward from the sun on the solar wind at speeds up to 1,000-1,500 km/sec. The Genesis spacecraft has registered maximum CME solar wind speeds of almost 1,000 km/sec. These fast CMEs cause interplanetary shocks as they move, greatly increasing the plasma density and the magnetic fields in the solar wind. CME plasma also contains greater amounts of helium than usual. The Helium/Hydrogen ratio is relatively constant at about 0.05 in high speed stream, but in CME plasma, the He/H ratio can be as great as 0.4.

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For a more technical description, take a Closer Look at
The Structured Sun and Solar Max: At the Core of the Matter.