Hybrid Simulations of the Heliospheric Termination Shock

We use the Los Alamos hybrid plasma code to simulate the quasi-perpendicular heliospheric termination shock in one spatial dimension. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the shock-heated thermal and suprathermal populations in the heliosheath that have not yet been measured directly. Our study will make predictions that will be compared to energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations to be made by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Mission after its launch in 2008. The ENAs to be measured by IBEX are generated from charge exchange of interstellar neutrals with protons heated at the termination shock. We use the simulations to characterize the downstream proton velocity distribution as a function of Alfven Mach number and plasma beta for a range of parameters expected at the termination shock. These distributions will then be used in a model to predict the fluxes of energetic neutrals to be observed by IBEX.