The Heliosphere with Jets and its implications for the global Energetic Neutral Atoms Maps throughout the Solar Cycle and its impact on the large-scale draping of the interstellar magnetic field
Abstract
Recently we proposed a scenario (Opher et al. 2015) that the structure of the heliosphere might be very different than we previously thought. The standard picture of the heliosphere is a comet-shape like structure with the tail extending for 1000's of AUs. This standard picture stems from a view where magnetic forces are negligible and the solar magnetic field is convected passively down the tail. We showed (Opher et al. 2015, Drake et al. 2015) that the magnetic tension of the solar magnetic field plays a crucial role on organizing the solar wind in the heliosheath into two jet-like structures. The two heliospheric jets are separated by the interstellar medium that flows between them. The heliosphere then has a ``croissant"-like shape where the distance to the heliopause downtail is almost the same as towards the nose. Here we present the implications of this "croissant-like structure" for the global Energetic Neutral Atoms maps as measured by IBEX in the heliotail and its variation with solar cycle. We include solar cycle variations of the solar wind (density and speed and magnetic intensity) while keeping a unipolar configuration to minimize spurious magnetic dissipation that erodes the solar magnetic field. We discuss as well the consequences on the draping and reconnection of the interstellar magnetic field across the heliopause. We show that reconnection in the flanks and tail control the draping and the orientation of the interstellar magnetic field (BISM) ahead of the heliopause and can explain the Voyager 1 observations. The BISM twists as it approaches the HP and acquires a strong T component (East-West) as shown in Opher & Drake (2013). Only after some significant distance outside the HP is the direction of the interstellar field distinguishably different from that of the Parker spiral.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMSH23A..05O
- Keywords:
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- 2126 Heliosphere/interstellar medium interactions;
- INTERPLANETARY PHYSICSDE: 2164 Solar wind plasma;
- INTERPLANETARY PHYSICSDE: 7837 Neutral particles;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICSDE: 7845 Particle acceleration;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS