Authors: Nickolas Giardetti (Florida Institute of Technology), Sofiane Bourouaine (Florida Institute of Technology)

Utilizing data from the Wind spacecraft, we identify populations of sunward-propagating Alfvenic
fluctuations in the near-Earth solar wind. Plasma and magnetic field data is discretized into nonoverlapping time intervals, and using proxy parameters: normalized cross helicity, plasma incompressibility, and magnetic incompressibility, the degree of Alfvenicity is determined. Incorporating
the polarity of the heliospheric magnetic field, energetically dominant Alfven modes are determined,
which allows for the determination of propagation direction. Occurrence rates of sunward Alfven
waves vary from 1% to 15% depending on the time scale and solar wind stream type considered. A
methodology utilizing pitch angle distributions of suprathermal electron strahl is employed to identify
inverted magnetic field topology. The intervals containing sunward Alfven waves are cross-referenced
with with intervals identified as inverted. Such sunward-inverted intervals are examined for signatures
of magnetic switchbacks. For 1 hour intervals, 356 sunward-inverted intervals are identified, with 120
displaying switchback characteristics. The analysis lends support to switchbacks as a candidate source
for a portion of sunward Alfven wave populations.