Constraints on Local ENA Fluxes from HST Lyman-alpha Data

Physics

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2114 Energetic Particles (7514), 2126 Heliosphere/Interstellar Medium Interactions, 2151 Neutral Particles (7837), 7549 Ultraviolet Emissions

Scientific paper

Local energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes should be dominated by neutral hydrogen atoms created by charge exchange within the heliosheath that are then directed through the termination shock towards the Sun. These heliosheath neutrals are also detectable via the absorption they produce within the Lyman-α lines observed from nearby stars by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The sensitivity of the HST data to absorption from ENAs along the entire path length through the heliosphere makes it difficult to infer a local ENA flux from absorption detections and limits provided by Lyman-α pectra. Nevertheless a conservative upper limit of F<5000 cm-2 s-1 ster-1 can be inferred for ENA fluxes in the 0.01- 0.2 keV energy range, which will be observable by the future Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission. The ASPERA-3 instrument on board the Mars Express satellite has already reported a detection of heliospheric ENAs in the 0.2-10 keV range, but the high ENA fluxes reported by this instrument are very difficult to reconcile with the relative lack of heliosheath Lyman-α absorption observed by HST.

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