Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh21c..05f&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH21C-05
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2124] Interplanetary Physics / Heliopause And Solar Wind Termination, [2126] Interplanetary Physics / Heliosphere/Interstellar Medium Interactions, [7837] Space Plasma Physics / Neutral Particles
Scientific paper
Since early 2009, IBEX has been making detailed observations of neutrals from the boundaries of the heliosphere using two neutral atom cameras with overlapping energy ranges. The unexpected, yet defining feature discovered by IBEX is a ribbon that extends over the energy range from about 0.2 to 6 keV. This ribbon is superposed on a more uniform, globally distributed heliospheric neutral population. With some important exceptions, the focus of early IBEX studies has been on neutral atoms with energies greater than ~0.5 keV. For the globally distributed population, many neutrals in this energy range are produced by pick up (ionization) of interstellar neutrals in the heliosphere, convection across the termination shock, and a second charge exchange in the heliosheath. With more than 2 years of observations, enough low energy neutral atom measurements have been accumulated to extend IBEX observations down to energies below ~0.5 keV. At these energies, contributions from two additional populations of low energy neutral atoms from the heliosheath become significant. The first population is produced by charge exchange of interstellar neutrals in the heliosheath, beyond the termination shock, and a second charge exchange in the same region. The second population is produced by charge exchange between much slower solar wind ions in the heliosheath and interstellar neutrals. Using the energy overlap of the sensors and observations in different regions near the Earth to identify and remove backgrounds, energy spectra over the entire energy range of IBEX are produced. Compared to spectra at higher energies, neutral atom spectra at lower energies do not vary greatly from location to location in the sky, including in the direction of the IBEX ribbon. Implications for these observations on global heliospheric structure and interactions are discussed.
Allegrini Frederic
Funsten Herbert O.
Fuselier Stephen A.
Ghielmetti Arthur G.
Gloeckler George
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