Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh21c..06b&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH21C-06
Physics
Plasma Physics
[7500] Solar Physics, Astrophysics, And Astronomy, [7823] Space Plasma Physics / Ionization Processes, [7833] Space Plasma Physics / Mathematical And Numerical Techniques, [7837] Space Plasma Physics / Neutral Particles
Scientific paper
Because of its high ionization potential and weak interaction with hydrogen, Neutral Interstellar Helium (NISHe) is almost unaffected at the heliospheric interface with the interstellar medium and freely enters the solar system. This second most abundant species provides some of the best information on the characteristics of the interstellar gas in the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC). The Interstellar Boundary Explorer is the second mission to directly detect NISHe (after Ulysses) and the first to directly detect other interstellar neutrals. We present a comparison between recent IBEX NISHe observations and simulations carried out using a well-tested quantitative simulation code. This code includes motion of the spacecraft and the Earth relative to the incident NISHe in the inner heliosphere and accounts for both major and minor interactions between NISHe and its surrounding medium. The interactions include gravitational attraction by the Sun and losses by solar photoionization, electron impact ionization, and charge exchange with solar wind protons and alphas. Simulation and observation results compare well for times when measured fluxes are dominated by NISHe (and contributions from other species are small). Differences between simulations and observations indicate previously undetected secondary population of neutral helium, likely produced by interaction of helium with plasma in the outer heliosheath. Interstellar neutral parameters are statistically different from previous results: the newly-established flow direction is ecliptic longitude 79.2°, latitude -5.1°, velocity 22.8 km/s. These new results imply a markedly lower absolute velocity of the gas and thus significantly lower dynamic pressure on the boundaries of the heliosphere and different orientation of the Hydrogen Deflection Plane (the plane that contains the inflow vectors of hydrogen and helium in the inner heliosphere) compared to prior results from Ulysses. A different orientation of this plane also suggests a new geometry of the interstellar magnetic field and the lower dynamic pressure calls for a compensation by other components of the pressure balance, most likely a higher density of interstellar plasma and strength of interstellar magnetic field.
Bochsler Peter A.
Bzowski Maciej
Crew Geoff B.
Fuselier Stephen A.
Heirtzler D.
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