Hemispheric Asymmetry of the Heliospheric Magnetic Field and the Heliospheric Current Sheet in the Inner and Outer Heliosphere
Abstract
We reanalyze the observations of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) made by the Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 heliospheric probes in view of the hemispheric asymmetry in HMF intensity and the asymmetric location of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). We calculate the occurrences and the tangential field magnitudes for toward and away HMF sectors at these probes, and compare them with simultaneous observations at 1 AU. The HMF sector occurrence ratios for the four probes prove that the HCS was southward shifted during the late declining to minimum times in 1970s, 1980s and 1990s even at the radial distances of the probes. Moreover, Voyager 1 and 2 observations show that the HMF magnitude was stronger in the southern hemisphere during the solar minima in 1980s and 1990s. Our results are in a good agreement with similar observations at 1-2 AU by the Ulysses probe and the Earth orbiting satellites, and verify that the persistent hemispheric asymmetries in HMF intensity and HCS location that were earlier found at 1 AU, extend at least as far as about 45 AU.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFMSH11C..01M
- Keywords:
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- 2134 INTERPLANETARY PHYSICS / Interplanetary magnetic fields;
- 2162 INTERPLANETARY PHYSICS / Solar cycle variations;
- 7509 SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY / Corona