Voyager’s Observations in the Vicinity of the Heliopause
This work analyzes Voyager 2 observations on November 2018 and compares them with Voyager 1 data at the vicinity of the heliopause in July-August 2012. We describe the plasma and cosmic-ray variations at the radial distance of ≈ 1 astronomical unit (AU) from the heliopause. We use a simple convectio...
| Authors: | , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Country: | México |
| Institution: | UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MÉXICO |
| Repository: | Geofísica Internacional |
| Language: | Spanish |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:revistagi.geofisica.unam.mx:article/21 |
| Online Access: | http://revistagi.geofisica.unam.mx/index.php/RGI/article/view/21 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Sol heliosfera heliopausa viento solar rayos cósmicos Sun heliosphere heliopause solar wind cosmic rays |
| Summary: | This work analyzes Voyager 2 observations on November 2018 and compares them with Voyager 1 data at the vicinity of the heliopause in July-August 2012. We describe the plasma and cosmic-ray variations at the radial distance of ≈ 1 astronomical unit (AU) from the heliopause. We use a simple convection-diffusion cosmic-ray modulation model to qualitatively explain the particle observations. We found a thin layer, with a thickness of ≈ 0.04 AU where the radial component of the solar wind speed vanished, the galactic cosmic ray intensity rapidly increased to reach its heliosphere boundary level, and low-energy heliospheric ion intensity drooped. We called this layer the “skin of the heliosphere”. Plasma data suggest that Voyager 2 crossed the heliopause on November 5, 2018, at the radial distance of 119.03 AU. We apply our analysis to Voyager 1 observations and conclude that similar behavior in solar wind speed could qualitatively explain the GCR counting rate and that the “skin of the heliosphere” maybe a global characteristic along the heliopause. |
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