Cool heliosheath plasma and deceleration of the upstream solar wind at the termination shock

The solar wind blows outward from the Sun and forms a bubble of solar material in the interstellar medium. The termination shock occurs where the solar wind changes from being supersonic (with respect to the surrounding interstellar medium) to being subsonic. The shock was crossed by Voyager 1 at a heliocentric radius of 94 au (1 au is the Earth-Sun distance) in December 2004 (refs 1-3). The Voyager 2 plasma experiment observed a decrease in solar wind speed commencing on about 9 June 2007, which culminated in several crossings of the termination shock between 30 August and 1 September 2007 (refs 4-7). Since then, Voyager 2 has remained in the heliosheath, the region of shocked solar wind. Here we report observations of plasma at and near the termination shock and in the heliosheath. The heliosphere is asymmetric, pushed inward in the Voyager 2 direction relative to the Voyager 1 direction. The termination shock is a weak, quasi-perpendicular shock that heats the thermal plasma very little. An unexpected finding is that the flow is still supersonic with respect to the thermal ions downstream of the termination shock. Most of the solar wind energy is transferred to the pickup ions or other energetic particles both upstream of and at the termination shock.     

Domination of heliosheath pressure by shock-accelerated pickup ions from observations of neutral atoms

The solar wind blows an immense magnetic bubble, the heliosphere, in the local interstellar medium (mostly neutral gas) flowing by the Sun. Recent measurements by Voyager 2 across the termination shock, where the solar wind is slowed to subsonic speeds before entering the heliosheath, found that the shocked solar wind plasma contains only approximately 20 per cent of the energy released by the termination shock, whereas energetic particles above approximately 28 keV contain only approximately 10 per cent; approximately 70 per cent of the energy is unaccounted for, leading to speculation that the unmeasured pickup ions or energetic particles below 28 keV contain the missing energy. Here we report the detection and mapping of heliosheath energetic ( approximately 4-20 keV) neutral atoms produced by charge exchange of suprathermal ions with interstellar neutral atoms. The energetic neutral atoms come from a source approximately 60 degrees wide in longitude straddling the direction of the local interstellar medium. Their energy spectra resemble those of solar wind pickup ions, but with a knee at approximately 11 keV instead of approximately 4 keV, indicating that their parent ions are pickup ions energized by the termination shock. These termination-shock-energized pickup ions contain the missing approximately 70 per cent of the energy dissipated in the termination shock, and they dominate the pressure in the heliosheath.     

An asymmetric solar wind termination shock

Voyager 2 crossed the solar wind termination shock at 83.7 au in the southern hemisphere, approximately 10 au closer to the Sun than found by Voyager 1 in the north. This asymmetry could indicate an asymmetric pressure from an interstellar magnetic field, from transient-induced shock motion, or from the solar wind dynamic pressure. Here we report that the intensity of 4-5 MeV protons accelerated by the shock near Voyager 2 was three times that observed concurrently by Voyager 1, indicating differences in the shock at the two locations. (Companion papers report on the plasma, magnetic field, plasma-wave and lower energy particle observations at the shock.) Voyager 2 did not find the source of anomalous cosmic rays at the shock, suggesting that the source is elsewhere on the shock or in the heliosheath. The small intensity gradient of Galactic cosmic ray helium indicates that either the gradient is further out in the heliosheath or the local interstellar Galactic cosmic ray intensity is lower than expected.     

Zero outward flow velocity for plasma in a heliosheath transition layer

Voyager 1 has been in the reservoir of energetic ions and electrons that constitutes the heliosheath since it crossed the solar wind termination shock on 16 December 2004 at a distance from the Sun of 94 astronomical units (1?AU = 1.5?×?10(8)?km). It is now ～22?AU past the termination shock crossing. The bulk velocity of the plasma in the radial-transverse plane has been determined using measurements of the anisotropy of the convected energetic ion distribution. Here we report that the radial component of the velocity has been decreasing almost linearly over the past three years, from ～70?km?s(-1) to ～0?km?s(-1), where it has remained for the past eight months. It now seems that Voyager 1 has entered a finite transition layer of zero-radial-velocity plasma flow, indicating that the spacecraft may be close to the heliopause, the border between the heliosheath and the interstellar plasma. The existence of a flow transition layer in the heliosheath contradicts current predictions--generally assumed by conceptual models--of a sharp discontinuity at the heliopause.     

No meridional plasma flow in the heliosheath transition region

Over a two-year period, Voyager 1 observed a gradual slowing-down of radial plasma flow in the heliosheath to near-zero velocity after April 2010 at a distance of 113.5 astronomical units from the Sun (1 astronomical unit equals 1.5?×?10(8) kilometres). Voyager 1 was then about 20 astronomical units beyond the shock that terminates the free expansion of the solar wind and was immersed in the heated non-thermal plasma region called the heliosheath. The expectation from contemporary simulations was that the heliosheath plasma would be deflected from radial flow to meridional flow (in solar heliospheric coordinates), which at Voyager?1 would lie mainly on the (locally spherical) surface called the heliopause. This surface is supposed to separate the heliosheath plasma, which is of solar origin, from the interstellar plasma, which is of local Galactic origin. In 2011, the Voyager project began occasional temporary re-orientations of the spacecraft (totalling about 10-25 hours every 2 months) to re-align the Low-Energy Charged Particle instrument on board Voyager?1 so that it could measure meridional flow. Here we report that, contrary to expectations, these observations yielded a meridional flow velocity of +3?±?11?km?s(-1), that is, one consistent with zero within statistical uncertainties.     

Magnetic fields at the solar wind termination shock

A transition between the supersonic solar wind and the subsonic heliosheath was observed by Voyager 1, but the expected termination shock was not seen owing to a gap in the telemetry. Here we report observations of the magnetic field structure and dynamics of the termination shock, made by Voyager 2 on 31 August-1 September 2007 at a distance of 83.7 au from the Sun (1 au is the Earth-Sun distance). A single crossing of the shock was expected, with a boundary that was stable on a timescale of several days. But the data reveal a complex, rippled, quasi-perpendicular supercritical magnetohydrodynamic shock of moderate strength undergoing reformation on a scale of a few hours. The observed structure suggests the importance of ionized interstellar atoms ('pickup protons') at the shock.     

Voyager 1 exited the solar wind at a distance of approximately 85 Au from the Sun

The outer limit of the Solar System is often considered to be at the distance from the Sun where the solar wind changes from supersonic to subsonic flow. Theory predicts that a termination shock marks this boundary, with locations ranging from a few to over 100 au (1 Au approximately 1.5 x 10(8) km, the distance from Earth to the Sun). 'Pick-up ions' that originate as interstellar neutral atoms should be accelerated to tens of MeV at the termination shock, generating anomalous cosmic rays. Here we report a large increase in the intensity of energetic particles in the outer heliosphere, as measured by an instrument on the Voyager 1 spacecraft. We argue that the spacecraft exited the supersonic solar wind and passed into the subsonic region (possibly beyond the termination shock) on about 1 August 2002 at a distance of approximately 85 Au (heliolatitude approximately 34 degrees N), then re-entered the supersonic solar wind about 200 days later at approximately 87 au from the Sun. We show that the composition of the ions accelerated at the putative termination shock is that of anomalous cosmic rays and of interstellar pick-up ions.     

Intense plasma waves at and near the solar wind termination shock

Plasma waves are a characteristic feature of shocks in plasmas, and are produced by non-thermal particle distributions that develop in the shock transition layer. The electric fields of these waves have a key role in dissipating energy in the shock and driving the particle distributions back towards thermal equilibrium. Here we report the detection of intense plasma-wave electric fields at the solar wind termination shock. The observations were obtained from the plasma-wave instrument on the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The first evidence of the approach to the shock was the detection of upstream electron plasma oscillations on 1 August 2007 at a heliocentric radial distance of 83.4 au (1 au is the Earth-Sun distance). These narrowband oscillations continued intermittently for about a month until, starting on 31 August 2007 and ending on 1 September 2007, a series of intense bursts of broadband electrostatic waves signalled a series of crossings of the termination shock at a heliocentric radial distance of 83.7 au. The spectrum of these waves is quantitatively similar to those observed at bow shocks upstream of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.     

Enhancements of energetic particles near the heliospheric termination shock

The spacecraft Voyager 1 is at a distance greater than 85 au from the Sun, in the vicinity of the termination shock that marks the abrupt slowing of the supersonic solar wind and the beginning of the extended and unexplored distant heliosphere. This shock is expected to accelerate 'anomalous cosmic rays', as well as to re-accelerate Galactic cosmic rays and low-energy particles from the inner Solar System. Here we report a significant increase in the numbers of energetic ions and electrons that persisted for seven months beginning in mid-2002. This increase differs from any previously observed in that there was a simultaneous increase in Galactic cosmic ray ions and electrons, anomalous cosmic rays and low-energy ions. The low-intensity level and spectral energy distribution of the anomalous cosmic rays, however, indicates that Voyager 1 still has not reached the termination shock. Rather, the observed increase is an expected precursor event. We argue that the radial anisotropy of the cosmic rays is expected to be small in the foreshock region, as is observed.     

Alfvénic waves with sufficient energy to power the quiet solar corona and fast solar wind

Energy is required to heat the outer solar atmosphere to millions of degrees (refs 1, 2) and to accelerate the solar wind to hundreds of kilometres per second (refs 2-6). Alfvén waves (travelling oscillations of ions and magnetic field) have been invoked as a possible mechanism to transport magneto-convective energy upwards along the Sun's magnetic field lines into the corona. Previous observations of Alfvénic waves in the corona revealed amplitudes far too small (0.5?km?s(-1)) to supply the energy flux (100-200?W?m(-2)) required to drive the fast solar wind or balance the radiative losses of the quiet corona. Here we report observations of the transition region (between the chromosphere and the corona) and of the corona that reveal how Alfvénic motions permeate the dynamic and finely structured outer solar atmosphere. The ubiquitous outward-propagating Alfvénic motions observed have amplitudes of the order of 20?km?s(-1) and periods of the order of 100-500?s throughout the quiescent atmosphere (compatible with recent investigations), and are energetic enough to accelerate the fast solar wind and heat the quiet corona.     

The correlations of ions density with geomagnetic activity and solar dynamic pressure in cusp region

A statistical study of the properties of ions (O , He and H ) measured by the Cluster-II in cusp region as a function of the solar wind dynamic pressure and geomagnetic index Kp respectively was made dur-ing the summer and fall of 2001-2003. The main results are that: (1) O ion density responds in a sig-nificant way to geomagnetic index Kp, and He ion density is not correlated with geomagnetic index Kp, both of them have a significant positive correlation with solar wind dynamic pressure; (2) H ion density is also observed to increase with solar wind dynamic pressure, and not correlated with geomagnetic index Kp.     

Little or no solar wind enters Venus' atmosphere at solar minimum

Venus has no significant internal magnetic field, which allows the solar wind to interact directly with its atmosphere. A field is induced in this interaction, which partially shields the atmosphere, but we have no knowledge of how effective that shield is at solar minimum. (Our current knowledge of the solar wind interaction with Venus is derived from measurements at solar maximum.) The bow shock is close to the planet, meaning that it is possible that some solar wind could be absorbed by the atmosphere and contribute to the evolution of the atmosphere. Here we report magnetic field measurements from the Venus Express spacecraft in the plasma environment surrounding Venus. The bow shock under low solar activity conditions seems to be in the position that would be expected from a complete deflection by a magnetized ionosphere. Therefore little solar wind enters the Venus ionosphere even at solar minimum.     

太阳风离子在月面的反射过程及对月面电场的影响

为探究月表磁异常区对太阳风离子产生反射的原理, 基于嫦娥二号卫星携带太阳风离子探测器的探测数据, 用单粒子模拟法反演太阳风离子运动, 并分析离子入射角和反射角的分布. 实验结果表明： 太阳风离子先被月壤向各方向大范围散射, 再被月面电场向天顶方向加速; 太阳风中, 月面有45~75 V电势, 该正电势对月面反射的太阳风离子有显著影响.     

地球外太空的奥秘:一个巨大的动力辐射区域

2010年,作者在地球外太空发现一个以磁口(cusp)为中心的巨大的动力辐射区域.这个新辐射区域纵深可达10.5Re;在7-8Re高度上,其尺度在纬线和经线方向上可分别达到6Re和＞10Re;当人造卫星穿越该区域时,测得的电磁涨落强度与高能带电粒子强度都有数量级的增加.本文对此进行了综述分析,认为这是太空时代最关键和最...     

太阳风起源区等离子体动力学机制

 根据太阳风的起源,对太阳风的等离子体动力学理论进行研究。对磁流体力学（MHD）做了详细概述,在此基础上讨论稳定态下的震波结构,并进行详细的公式推导,特别是对它的不连续结构与旋转不连续的性质进行说明。通过对卫星观测结果的分析,得到两种磁场方向不连续面：切向不连续（TD）和旋转不连续（RD）。研究表明,TD的特性为垂直不连续面的磁场分量为零,电离子不通过该面;RD两侧的磁场方向不同但是大小相同,且有电离子通过该不连续面。太阳风中旋转不连续面主要与高速太阳风有关。通过分析6种不连续结构得到：在通过界面的磁通量保持不变的情况下,切向磁场会任意改变方向,出现旋转不连续现象,且此现象能够通过一维空间结构图方法加以验证。通过对比推导结果与数据验证图,发现数据图的分析支持公式的推导,证实太阳风起源区等离子存在旋转不连续机制。     

太阳风中非线性离子波研究的解析方法Ⅰ

本文从MHD方程组出发，推导了太阳风磁化等离子体中非线性静电离子声波孤立于传播的非线性控制方程，从而得到了扰动位势的解析解。讨论了各种等离子体参数情况下孤立于形成的条件。     

Responses of properties in the plasma sheet and at the geosynchronous orbit to interplanetary shock

On July 22, 2004, the WIND spacecraft detected a typical interplanetary shock. There was sustaining weak southward magnetic field in the preshock region and the southward field was suddenly enhanced across the shock front （i.e., southward turning）. When the shock impinged on the magnetosphere, the magnetospheric plasma convection was abruptly enhanced in the central plasma sheet, which was directly observed by both the TC-1 and Cluster spacecraft located in different regions. Simultaneously, the Cluster spacecraft observed that the dawn-to-dusk electric field was abruptly enhanced. The variations of the magnetic field observed by TC-1, Cluster, GOES-10 and GOES-12 that were distributed in different regions in the plasma sheet and at the geosynchronous orbit are obviously distinct. TC-1 observations showed that the magnetic intensity kept almost unchanged and the elevation angle decreased, but the Cluster spacecraft, which was also in the plasma sheet and was further from the equator, observed that the magnetic field was obviously enhanced. Simultaneously, GOES-12 located near the midnight observed that the magnetic intensity sharply increased and the elevation angle decreased, but GOES-10 located in the dawn side observed that the magnetic field was merely compressed with its three components all sharply increasing. Furthermore, the energetic proton and electron fluxes at nearly all channels observed by five LANL satellites located at different magnetic local times （MLTs） all showed impulsive enhancements due to the compression of the shock. The responses of the energetic particles were much evident on the dayside than those on the nightside. Especially the responses near the midnight were rather weak. In this paper, the possible reasonable physical explanation to above observations is also discussed. All the shock-induced responses are the joint effects of the solar wind dynamic pressure pulse and the magnetic field southward turning.     

An analysis of interplanetary sources of geomagnetic storm during November 7–8, 1998

We analyzed the properties of the solar wind appeared during November 7–8, 1998. Results show that the spaceship ACE spotted a shock （hereinafter referred to as the first shock） at 07:33 UT, November 7. The sheath appeared from the first shock to 22:00 UT November 7. A magnetic cloud-like （MCL） was observed during the period from 22:00 UT November 7 to 11:50 UT, November 8. Another shock was observed at 04:19 UT, November 8 （the second shock）. It is apparent that the second shock has entered the rear part of the MCL （MCL₂）, though the former part of the MCL （MCL₁） was not affected by the second shock. The main phase of the geomagnetic storm is split into three steps for the convenience of SYM-H index analysis. Step 1 covers the period from the sudden storm commence （SSC） at 08:15 UT, November 7 to the moment of 22:44 UT, November 7. Step 2 starts from 22:44 UT, November 7 and ends at 04:51 UT, November 8. The last step runs from 04:51 UT, November 8 to 06:21 UT, November 8. Step 2 has played a key role in the main development phase of the geomagnetic storm. Analysis of the solar wind properties associated with the main phase shows that the three steps in the main phase have sheath, MCL₁, and MCL₂ as their respective interplanetary source. Specifically, the sheath is covered by the solar wind data from 07:33 UT to 22:00 UT, November 7, MCL1 by the solar wind data from 22:00 UT, November 7 to 04:19 UT November 8, and MCL₂ by the solar wind data from 04:19 UT to 05:57 UT, November 8. MCL₁ had a strong and long lasting so UTh directed magnetic field, allowing it to play a key role in the development of the main phase. MCL₂ made a much smaller contribution to the main development phase, compared with MCL₁.     

High-velocity streams of dust originating from Saturn

High-velocity submicrometre-sized dust particles expelled from the jovian system have been identified by dust detectors on board several spacecraft. On the basis of periodicities in the dust impact rate, Jupiter's moon Io was found to be the dominant source of the streams. The grains become positively charged within the plasma environment of Jupiter's magnetosphere, and gain energy from its co-rotational electric field. Outside the magnetosphere, the dynamics of the grains are governed by the interaction with the interplanetary magnetic field that eventually forms the streams. A similar process was suggested for Saturn. Here we report the discovery by the Cassini spacecraft of bursts of high-velocity dust particles (> or = 100 km s(-1)) within approximately 70 million kilometres of Saturn. Most of the particles detected at large distances appear to originate from the outskirts of Saturn's outermost main ring. All bursts of dust impacts detected within 150 Saturn radii are characterized by impact directions markedly different from those measured between the bursts, and they clearly coincide with the spacecraft's traversals through streams of compressed solar wind.     

太阳风中非线性离子波研究的解析方法Ⅱ

本文从MHD方程组出发，推导了太阳风磁化等离子体中非线性静电离子声波孤立子传播的非线性控制方程，考虑电子捕获效应，使用解析方法得到了扰动位势的精确解，应用得到的精确解讨论了各种等离子体参数情况下孤立子形成的条件。