Working group 4: The quiet corona and regular solar wind

After a brief discussion of data analysis methods, this paper reviews new results and open questions on the structure of the quiet corona. The formation of the helium spectrum is discussed, and some of the fractionation processes that can lead to helium abundance variations in the outer solar atmosphere are described. It is suggested that the helium abundance in those layers where the prominent helium lines are formed depends on the magnetic topology of the overlying corona. If helium is more abundant in closed than in open regions, a number of unsolved problems with the helium spectrum can be explained. Then a discussion follows if, and where, convection might play a role in stellar coronae and winds. The final part of the paper focuses on problems related to the slow solar wind in the ecliptic: its formation region on the Sun, its properties within the main acceleration zone as inferred from coronagraph and radio observations, and its impact on the interstellar plasma.