Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon

Details Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon

Aug 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010apj...719.1097f&link_type=abstract

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 719, Issue 2, pp. 1097-1103 (2010).

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

12

Ism: Kinematics And Dynamics, Instabilities, Solar Wind, Turbulence

Scientific paper

First results from NASA's Interplanetary Boundary Explorer mission showed an unexpected "ribbon" of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux spanning most of the sky. One explanation put forward suggests that the ribbon may be produced by secondary ENAs originating from pickup ions (PUIs) in the outer heliosheath (OHS). These PUIs are generated when primary ENAs born in the solar wind and inner heliosheath cross the heliopause and charge exchange in the nearby interstellar medium. One of the core assumptions underpinning this theory is that the newly born PUI ring is relatively stable with respect to wave generation, so that it can undergo charge exchange before becoming isotropized. We test this assumption using a linear kinetic theory and hybrid simulations of a low-density PUI ring interacting with instability-generated waves in a warm plasma of the OHS. It is shown that a broadband spectrum of waves is excited as a result of the cyclotron instability that efficiently scatters the ring ions. We also show that the ambient fluctuations in the OHS are unlikely to produce a measurable degree of resonant scattering of PUIs because their intensity is too low compared with the waves excited by the instability.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Stability of a Pickup Ion Ring-beam Population in the Outer Heliosheath: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1863136