Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma

Details Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma

Feb 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995a%26a...294..587f&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 294, no. 2, p. 587-600

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

42

Heliosphere, Hydrogen, Interstellar Gas, Oxygen, Shock Waves, Solar Wind, Space Plasmas, Cosmic Rays, Ulysses Mission

Scientific paper

Connected with the relative motion of the solar system with respect to the ambient interstellar medium is a series of qualitatively different physical influences on both the subsonic interstellar and the subsonic solar wind plasma regimes. These regimes form a region characterized by a perturbed interface or heliosheath plasma ahead of the solar system which interstellar neutrals have to penetrate prior to their arrival at the inner solar system. As is shown quantitatively here the distribution functions of neutral interstellar gas species in the heliosphere have experienced typical gas-specific imprints from this perturbed plasma region. In this paper we are especially interested in the influence of the interface plasma on the oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio since observational facts from pick-up ion and anomalous cosmic ray observations have now become available that shrink down the inaccuracy in the knowledge of this ratio to much lower numbers. Our aim is to study this ratio for different possible interface structures and to compare the result with the available data in order thereby to identify the best fitting interface. From our calculations it becomes evident that satisfactory theoretical representations of the most recent pick-up-ion data from ULYSSES can only be given if the local interstellar medium is partially ionized with a fractional degree of ionization of hydrogen of about 30 percent.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma 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 Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modulation of the interstellar oxygen-to-hydrogen ratio by the heliospheric interface plasma will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1629186