Authors: Joy Velasquez (harvard smithsonian center for astrophysics), Michael Stevens (harvard smithsonian center for astrophysics)

This study examines the statistical bias resulting from the relative time spent by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in different-speed solar wind streams. By simulating PSP’s trajectory through model data lacking solar wind acceleration effects, we investigate if sampling bias can create the illusion of trends. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models of the inner heliosphere during Carrington rotations are used, focusing on the heliospheric region without complexities of wind acceleration and heating. Synthetic time series data is generated by sampling the models at PSP’s positions. Binning the data by distance from the Sun, bin-averages and standard deviations are calculated. Comparisons with previous PSP studies are made to assess the presence of illusory trends. The investigation contributes to understanding biases in solar wind measurements and distinguishing genuine acceleration effects from sampling artifacts, enhancing our knowledge of solar wind dynamics near the Sun.