Can streamer blobs prevent the buildup of the interplanetary magnetic field?

Coronal mass ejections continuously drag closed magnetic field lines away f rom the Sun, adding new flux to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We propose that the outward-moving blobs that have been observed in helmet st reamers are evidence of ongoing, small-scale reconnection in streamer curre nt sheets, which may play an important role in the prevention of an indefin ite buildup of the IMF. Reconnection between two open field lines from both sides of a streamer current sheet creates a new closed field line, which b ecomes part of the helmet, and a disconnected field line, which moves outwa rd. The blobs an formed by plasma from the streamer that is swept up in the trough of the outward-moving field line. We show that this mechanism is su pported by observations from Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Larg e Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph. Additionally, we propose a thorough statistical study to quantify the contribution of blob formation to the red uction of the IMF and indicate how this mechanism may be verified by observ ations with SOHO/Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer and the proposed NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA Polar Orbiter missions.