The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observes a remarkable feature, the IBEX ribbon, which has energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux over a narrow region ~20? wide, a factor of 2-3 higher than the ...more globally distributed ENA flux. Here, we separate ENA emissions in the ribbon from the distributed flux by applying a transparency mask over the ribbon and regions of high emissions, and then solve for the distributed flux using an interpolation scheme. Our analysis shows that the energy spectrum and spatial distribution of the ribbon are distinct from the surrounding globally distributed flux. The ribbon energy spectrum shows a knee between ~1 and 4 keV, and the angular distribution is approximately independent of energy. In contrast, the distributed flux does not show a clear knee and more closely conforms to a power law over much of the sky. Consistent with previous analyses, the slope of the power law steepens from the nose to tail, suggesting a weaker termination shock toward the tail as compared to the nose. The knee in the energy spectrum of the ribbon suggests that its source plasma population is generated via a distinct physical process. Both the slope in the energy distribution of the distributed flux and the knee in the energy distribution of the ribbon are ordered by latitude. The heliotail may be identified in maps of globally distributed flux as a broad region of low flux centered ~44?W of the interstellar downwind direction, suggesting heliotail deflection by the interstellar magnetic field.
Simulations of energetic neutral atom (ENA) maps predict flux magnitudes that are, in some cases, similar to those observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, but they miss the ...ribbon. Our model of the heliosphere indicates that the local interstellar medium (LISM) magnetic field (BLISM) is transverse to the line of sight (LOS) along the ribbon, suggesting that the ribbon may carry its imprint. The force-per-unit area on the heliopause from field line draping and the LISM ram pressure is comparable with the ribbon pressure if the LOS approximately 30 to 60 astronomical units and BLISM approximately 2.5 microgauss. Although various models have advantages in accounting for some of the observations, no model can explain all the dominant features, which probably requires a substantial change in our understanding of the processes that shape our heliosphere.
Decades of interplanetary measurements of the solar wind and other space plasmas have established that the suprathermal ion intensity distributions (j) are non‐Maxwellian and are characterized by ...high‐energy power law tails (j ∼ E−κ). Recent analysis by Fisk and Gloeckler of suprathermal ion observations between 1–5 AU demonstrates that a particular differential intensity distribution function emerges universally between ∼2–10 times the solar wind speed with κ ∼ 1.5. This power law tail is particularly apparent in downstream distributions beyond reverse shocks associated with corotating interaction regions. Similar power law tails have been observed in the downstream flow beyond the termination shock by the Low Energy Charged Particle instrument on both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Using kappa distributions with internal energy, density, and bulk flow derived from large‐scale magnetohydrodynamic models, we calculate the simulated flux of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) produced in the heliosheath by charge exchange between solar wind protons and interstellar hydrogen. We then produce simulated ENA maps of the heliosheath, such as will be measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer Mission (IBEX). We also estimate the expected signal to noise and background ratio for IBEX. The solar wind suprathermal tail significantly increases the ENA flux within the IBEX energy range, ∼0.01–6 keV, by more than an order of magnitude at the highest energies over the estimates using a Maxwellian. It is therefore essential to consider suprathermal tails in the interpretation of IBEX ENA images and theoretical modeling of the heliospheric termination shock.
We are able to show by comparing modeled energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) spectra to those measured by Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) that the models along the Voyager 1 (V1) trajectory that ...best agree with the low energy IBEX data include extra heating due to ram and magnetic energy in the quasi-stagnation region or a kappa ion distribution (with Kappa = 2.0) in the outer heliosheath. The model explored is the multi-ion, multi-fluid (MI-MF) which treats the pick-up ions and the thermal ion fluids with separate Maxwellian distributions. These effects are included ad hoc in the modeled ENA since they are not present in the model. These results indicate that the low energy spectra of ENAs as measured by IBEX is sensitive to the physical nature of the heliosheath and to effects not traditionally present in current global models. Therefore, by comparing the low energy ENA spectra to models, we can potentially probe the heliosheath in locations beyond those probed by V1 and Voyager 2 (V2).
The interaction of the solar wind with the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) forms the boundaries of the heliosphere. A strong asymmetry of the heliosphere was found both directly by the Voyager ...probes and indirectly from measurements of the deflection of neutral hydrogen. The most likely source of this asymmetry is from the interstellar magnetic field, the properties of which are highly unconstrained. Energetic neutral atom (ENA) images will provide an additional method to view the heliosphere and infer the interstellar magnetic field. This paper investigates the imprint of the interstellar magnetic field on simulated energetic neutral atom all-sky maps. We show that a significant source of 0.5-1 keV ENAs may originate from the outside of the heliopause, if a strong suprathermal population exists in the VLISM. In simulations, a strong outer heliosheath ENA feature appears near the nose of the heliosphere. A weaker, complementary feature is also present consisting entirely of inner heliosheath ENAs. From this feature the direction of the interstellar magnetic field can be easily inferred.
This chapter covers the theory of physical processes in the outer heliosphere that are particularly important for the IBEX Mission, excluding global magnetohydrodynamic/Boltzmann modeling of the ...entire heliosphere. Topics addressed include the structure and parameters of the solar wind termination shock, the transmission of ions through the termination shock including possible reflections at the shock electrostatic potential, the acceleration and transport of suprathermal ions and anomalous cosmic rays at the termination shock and in the heliosheath, charge-exchange interactions in the outer heliosphere including mass and momentum loading of the solar wind, the transport of interstellar pickup ions, and the production and anticipated intensities of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the heliosphere.
The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Science Operations Center is responsible for supporting analysis of IBEX data, generating special payload command procedures, delivering the IBEX data ...products, and building the global heliospheric maps of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in collaboration with the IBEX team. We describe here the data products and flow, the sensor responses to ENA fluxes, the heliospheric transmission of ENAs (from 100 AU to 1 AU), and the process of building global maps of the heliosphere. The vast majority of IBEX Science Operations Center (ISOC) tools are complete, and the ISOC is in a remarkable state of readiness due to extensive reviews, tests, rehearsals, long hours, and support from the payload teams. The software has been designed specifically to support considerable flexibility in the process of building global flux maps. Therefore, as we discover the fundamental properties of the interstellar interaction, the ISOC will iteratively improve its pipeline software, and, subsequently, the heliospheric flux maps that will provide a keystone for our global understanding of the solar wind’s interaction with the interstellar medium. The ISOC looks forward to the next chapter of the IBEX mission, as the tools we have developed will be used in partnership with the IBEX team and the scientific community over the coming years to define our global understanding of the solar wind’s interaction with the local interstellar medium.
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