New Consequences of the Blunt Termination Shock

Details New Consequences of the Blunt Termination Shock New Consequences of the Blunt Termination Shock

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufmsh51b..06j&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #SH51B-06

Physics

2114 Energetic Particles (7514), 2124 Heliopause And Solar Wind Termination, 2126 Heliosphere/Interstellar Medium Interactions, 7845 Particle Acceleration, 7851 Shock Waves (4455)

Scientific paper

We present some new and interesting consequences of a blunt termination shock for the plasma flow velocity, the magnetic field and energetic particles. The blunt termination shock is found in recent simulations, and we have also shown that the concept provides a natural explanation of anomalous-cosmic-ray anisotropy observations upstream of the termination shock (Jokipii et al, 2004). Recent quantitative numerical simulations (Giacalone and Jokipii, 2006) have verified this picture and revealed new phenomena. We point out that because the blunt shock is non-spherical and the solar-wind flow is very nearly radial, the solar wind is deflected significantly from the radial direction at the shock. The resulting downstream azimuthal flow speed, immediately downstream of shock at Voyager 1, is of the same order as the radial speed. Their ratio is about 48% at V1 for a flat shock and a flow stagnation point in the direction toward the incoming interstellar flow. A latitudinal transverse flow velocity is also expected. This non-radial flow also has consequences for the magnetic field. This non-radial flow also produces a significant transverse convective Compton-Getting anisotropy of charged particles behind the shock. Since the energetic-particle spatial gradients there are small, this is also the observed anisotropy. Results from the LECP instrument on Voyager 1 show a persistent azimuthal anisotropy consistent with this expectation (Giacalone and Jokipii, 2006). We discuss additional expected effects of the non-radial flow beyond the blunt termination shock. Comparison of these expectations with observations will further constrain models of energetic particles and the structure of the outer heliosphere and heliosheath. Jokipii, J. R., J. Giacalone and J. Kóta, Ap.J. 611, L141, 2004 Giacalone, J. and Jokipii, J. R., Ap. J. in press, 2006.

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