HR: 1340h
AN: SH43A-1091    [Abstracts]
TI: Coupling of the interstellar and interplanetary magnetic fields at the heliospheric interface: three-dimensional multifluid model
AU: * Pogorelov, N V
EM: nikolaip@ucr.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521 United States
AU: Zank, G P
EM: zank@ucr.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521 United States
AU: Ogino, T
EM: ogino@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp
AF: Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Honohara 3-13, Toyokawa, Aichi, 442-8507 Japan
AB: We analyze the three-dimensional structure of the solar wind (SW) in its interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM) on the basis of a newly developed, substantially revised multifluid model that treats plasma and different populations of neutral particles as separate components interacting via charge exchange. Special attention is paid to the coupling between the interstellar and interplanetary magnetic fields (ISMF and IMF) at the heliospheric interface. The vector of the LISM velocity is chosen to be perpendicular to the ISMF vector, which is inclined at $60^\circ$ to the ecliptic plane. This orientation of the magnetic field agrees with observational data, including the kilohertz radio emission that is believed to originate in the outer heliosheath ahead of the heliopause. Numerical simulations show the deformation of the heliopause and its rotation with respect to the solar wind meridional plane. Of interest is the bending and rotation of the heliospheric current sheet with respect to its original orientation in the inner regions of the solar wind behind the termination shock. It is shown that regardless of its obvious limitations the multifluid model of Pauls and Zank (1996) is capable of capturing several important features of the SW--LISM interaction, such as the formation of the hydrogen wall ahead of the heliopause, heating and deceleration of the solar wind ahead of the termination shock, the interstellar plasma deceleration due to its charge exchange with the fast secondary neutrals that originate in the subsonic solar wind region. It also ensures proper confinement of the IMF within the heliopause, which is crucial for adequate modeling of cosmic ray transport into the heliosphere.
DE: 2124 Heliopause and solar wind termination
DE: 2144 Interstellar gas
DE: 2151 Neutral particles
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting