LOCATIONS OF THE TERMINATION SHOCK AND THE HELIOPAUSE

Citation
Yc. Whang et al., LOCATIONS OF THE TERMINATION SHOCK AND THE HELIOPAUSE, J GEO R-S P, 100(A9), 1995, pp. 17015-17023
Citations number
41
Categorie Soggetti
Geosciences, Interdisciplinary","Astronomy & Astrophysics","Metereology & Atmospheric Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
ISSN journal
21699380 → ACNP
Volume
100
Issue
A9
Year of publication
1995
Pages
17015 - 17023
Database
ISI
SICI code
2169-9380(1995)100:A9<17015:LOTTSA>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
The locations of the termination shock and the heliopause are restudie d by taking into account the effects of pickup protons. The study uses available plasma and magnetic field data from Voyagers over a 14-year period (1978-1991) and Voyager observations of the 1992-1993 radio em ission event. Outside 30 AU, pickup protons have a significant influen ce on dynamical structures of the outer heliosphere. The solar wind is treated as a mixture of electrons, solar wind protons, and interstell ar pickup protons. If the magnitude of the interstellar magnetic field B-int is given, one can quantitatively study the motion and location of the termination shock. We find that the location is anticorrelated with the sunspot number. The absolute mean of the shock speed is 19 km /s, and the quadratic mean of the shock speed is 24 km/s. Because B-in t is poorly known, additional information is needed in studying the te rmination shock. Cummings et al, (1994) have used observations of anom alous cosmic rays to estimate the location of the shock. The observati ons of the 1991 global merged interaction region (GMIR) and GMIR shock and the 1992-1993 radio emission event provide another handle for the study of the termination shock and the heliopause. After its penetrat ion through the termination shock, the GMIR shock continued to propaga te in the subsonic region of the solar wind and eventually interacted with the heliopause. This interaction produced a transmitted shock pro pagating outward in the inter-stellar medium and a reflected shock pro pagating inward toward the Sun in the subsonic solar wind. The plasma frequencies behind the reflected and the transmitted shocks can be res ponsible for the 2- and 3-kHz radio emissions, respectively. We assume that the impingement of the GMIR shock at the heliopause occurred at the time when Voyagers started receiving the radio emissions. Taking i nto account the effects of pickup protons, we find that the locations of the termination shock and the heliopause in 1991-1992 are at approx imately 66 AU and 150 AU, respectively.