Publication Date:
2019-08-15
Description:
The work under this grant involves studies of the interaction of interstellar pickup ions with the solar wind, with the goal of a comprehensive model of the particle distributions and wave intensities to be expected throughout the heliosphere, as well as the interactions of those distributions with the solar wind termination shock. In the past year, we have completed a number of projects, including observations and modeling of the effects of a large scattering mean free path on the pickup He(+) seen at AMPTE, an analytical model of anisotropic pickup tons in a steady radial magnetic field, and a derivation of a reduced solar wind Mach number due to increased estimates on the inflowing hydrogen density allowing for a weak termination shock. In the next year, we plan to investigate in more detail the correspondence between our models of anisotropic pickup ions and the data on spectra, variations, and proton-He(+) correlation provided by AMPTE, Ulysses, and our instrument on SOHO. We will model the time-dependent pickup ion density resulting from finite periods of radial magnetic field. We will also incorporate the effects of a large mean free path into our analysis of the He(+) focusing cone, leading to more accurate parameter values for the interstellar helium gas. This progress report also includes a discussion of our Space Physics Educational Outreach activities in the past year and plans for the next year.
Keywords:
Astrophysics
Type:
NASA-CR-202559
,
NAS 1.26: 202559
Format:
application/pdf
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