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Title: Three-dimensional features of the outer heliosphere due to coupling between the interstellar and interplanetary magnetic fields. IV. Solar cycle model based on Ulysses observations

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States). Dept. of Physics and Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research
  2. National Space Science and Technology Center, Huntsville, AL (United States)
  3. Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States). Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research
  4. Southwest Research Inst. (SwRI), San Antonio, TX (United States)
  5. Southwest Research Inst. (SwRI), San Antonio, TX (United States); Univ. of Texas in San Antonio, TX (United States)

The solar cycle has a profound influence on the solar wind (SW) interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM) on more than one timescales. Also, there are substantial differences in individual solar cycle lengths and SW behavior within them. The presence of a slow SW belt, with a variable latitudinal extent changing within each solar cycle from rather small angles to 90°, separated from the fast wind that originates at coronal holes substantially affects plasma in the inner heliosheath (IHS)—the SW region between the termination shock (TS) and the heliopause (HP). The solar cycle may be the reason why the complicated flow structure is observed in the IHS by Voyager 1. Here, we show that a substantial decrease in the SW ram pressure observed by Ulysses between the TS crossings by Voyager 1 and 2 contributes significantly to the difference in the heliocentric distances at which these crossings occurred. The Ulysses spacecraft is the source of valuable information about the three-dimensional and time-dependent properties of the SW. Its unique fast latitudinal scans of the SW regions make it possible to create a solar cycle model based on the spacecraft in situ measurements. On the basis of our analysis of the Ulysses data over the entire life of the mission, we generated time-dependent boundary conditions at 10 AU from the Sun and applied our MHD-neutral model to perform a numerical simulation of the SW-LISM interaction. We analyzed the global variations in the interaction pattern, the excursions of the TS and the HP, and the details of the plasma and magnetic field distributions in the IHS. The resulting numbers are compared with Voyager data as functions of time in the spacecraft frame. We also discuss solar cycle effects which may be reasons for the recent decrease in the TS particles (ions accelerated to anomalous cosmic-ray energies) flux observed by Voyager 1.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0008334
OSTI ID:
1325985
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 772, Issue 1; ISSN 0004-637X
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 86 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (16)

Heliosheath Processes and the Structure of the Heliopause: Modeling Energetic Particles, Cosmic Rays, and Magnetic Fields journal April 2017
Extended MHD modeling of the steady solar corona and the solar wind journal July 2018
Stellar rotation effects on the stellar winds journal January 2020
Three-Dimensional Kinetic-Mhd Model of the Global Heliosphere with the Heliopause-Surface Fitting journal October 2015
Modeling Coronal Mass Ejections with the Multi-Scale Fluid-Kinetic Simulation Suite journal May 2017
On the usefulness of existing solar wind models for pulsar timing corrections journal May 2019
All-Sky Measurement of the Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays at 10 TeV and Mapping of the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field text January 2018
Simulation of the Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Increase in 2014 and Its Effect on Energetic Neutral Atom Fluxes from the Heliosphere journal May 2018
Globally Distributed Energetic Neutral Atom Maps for the “Croissant” Heliosphere journal September 2018
Magnetic Turbulence Spectra and Intermittency in the Heliosheath and in the Local Interstellar Medium journal February 2019
The Effect of Suprathermal Protons in the Heliosheath on the Global Structure of the Heliosphere and Heliotail journal March 2019
A Magnetic Pressure Front Upstream of the Heliopause and the Heliosheath Magnetic Fields and Plasma, Observed during 2017 journal May 2019
All-sky Measurement of the Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays at 10 TeV and Mapping of the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field journal January 2019
All-Sky Measurement of the Anisotropy of Cosmic Rays at 10 TeV and Mapping of the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field text January 2019
Heliosheath Processes and the Structure of the Heliopause: Modeling Energetic Particles, Cosmic Rays, and Magnetic Fields text January 2017
Extended MHD modeling of the steady solar corona and the solar wind text January 2018

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