Global Asymmetry of the Heliosphere
Abstract
Opher et al. 2006 showed that an interstellar magnetic field parallel to the plane defined by the deflection of interstellar hydrogen atoms can produce a north/south asymmetry in the distortion of the solar wind termination shock. This distortion is consistent with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 observations of the direction of field-aligned streaming of the termination shock particles upstream the shock. The model also indicates that such a distortion will result in a significant north/south asymmetry in the distance to the shock and the thickness of heliosheath. The two Voyager spacecraft should reveal the nature and degree of the asymmetry in the termination shock and heliosheath.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0606324,
title = {Global Asymmetry of the Heliosphere},
author = {Merav Opher and Edward C. Stone and Paulett C. Liewer and Tamas Gombosi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0606324},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
6 pages, 5 figures, AIP Proceedings of the 5th IGPP "The Physics of the Inner Heliosheath: Voyager Observations, Theory and Future Prospects"