Authors: Shirsh Lata Soni (CLaSP, University of Michigan), Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti (CLaSP, University of Michigan)

Switchbacks are discrete angular deflections in the solar wind radial magnetic field, observed throughout the heliosphere and often appearing in bundles referred to as switchback patches. Switchback patches evolve into microstreams with heliocentric distance via magnetic relaxation. Understanding the evolutionary characteristics of these switchback patches is crucial for determining their role in heating and accelerating the solar wind. In this work, we analyze magnetic and plasma measurements from the first 17 encounters of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). It is shown  that the magnetic and thermal pressures inside switchback patches vary with heliocentric distance. The study also reveals that the parallel ion temperature is enhanced inside switchback patches, while the perpendicular temperature remains mostly constant, though it is generally higher than the parallel temperature. It is concluded that straightening field lines inside switchback patches  results in field-aligned acceleration of ions, further shedding light on their evolution into microstreams over time.