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Title: Simulations of a dynamic solar cycle and its effects on the interstellar boundary explorer ribbon and globally distributed energetic neutral atom flux

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

Observations by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) have vastly improved our understanding of the interaction between the solar wind (SW) and local interstellar medium through direct measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs); this informs us about the heliospheric conditions that produced them. An enhanced feature of flux in the sky, the so-called IBEX ribbon, was not predicted by any global models before the first IBEX observations. A dominating theory of the origin of the ribbon, although still under debate, is a secondary charge-exchange process involving secondary ENAs originating from outside the heliopause. According to this mechanism, the evolution of the solar cycle should be visible in the ribbon flux. Therefore, in this paper we simulate a fully time-dependent ribbon flux, as well as globally distributed flux from the inner heliosheath (IHS), using time-dependent SW parameters from Sokol et al. as boundary conditions for our time-dependent heliosphere simulation. After post-processing the results to compute H ENA fluxes, these results show that the secondary ENA ribbon indeed should be time dependent, evolving with a period of approximately 11 yr, with differences depending on the energy and direction. Our results for the IHS flux show little periodic change with the 11 yr solar cycle, but rather with short-term fluctuations in the background plasma. And, while the secondary ENA mechanism appears to emulate several key characteristics of the observed IBEX ribbon, it appears that our simulation does not yet include all of the relevant physics that produces the observed ribbon.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0008334; NNX11AB48G; NNX12AH44G; NNX12AB30G; NNX13AF99G; NNX14AF43G; NNX14AP24G; NNX14AJ53G
OSTI ID:
1326075
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal (Online), Vol. 804, Issue 1; ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 33 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (12)

Heliosheath Processes and the Structure of the Heliopause: Modeling Energetic Particles, Cosmic Rays, and Magnetic Fields journal April 2017
Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP): A New NASA Mission journal October 2018
The Role of Pickup Ion Dynamics Outside of the Heliopause in the Limit of Weak Pitch Angle Scattering: Implications for the Source of the IBEX Ribbon journal March 2018
The IBEX Ribbon and the Thickness of the Inner Heliosheath journal July 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
Strong Scattering of ∼keV Pickup Ions in the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field Draped around Our Heliosphere: Implications for the IBEX Ribbon's Source and IMAP journal May 2019
Variability in the Position of the IBEX Ribbon over Nine Years: More Observational Evidence for a Secondary ENA Source journal July 2019
Parallax of the IBEX Ribbon Indicates a Spatially Retained Source journal July 2019
Turbulence in the Local Interstellar Medium and the IBEX Ribbon journal January 2020
Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP): A New NASA Mission text January 2018
Heliosheath Processes and the Structure of the Heliopause: Modeling Energetic Particles, Cosmic Rays, and Magnetic Fields text January 2017