The Impact of Helium on Simulations of the Heliosphere

Simulations of the global heliosphere continue to provide valuable insight into the nature of the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. Models of this interaction have grown in sophistication in recent years to move beyond the traditional magnetohydrodynamics picture of equilibrated protons and electrons coupled through charge-exchange to neutral hydrogen. For example, out-of-equilibrium protons and hydrogen atoms play a key role in the transport of energy throughout the system. In this work we investigate how helium of interstellar origin affects simulations of the global heliosphere, and what predictions can be made for neutral helium observed inside the heliosphere by IBEX and IMAP.