CAN THE DIRECTION OF INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC-FIELD BE DETERMINED FROM THE HELIOTAIL ENA FLUX

The effect of pressure of the (arbitrarily directed) interstellar magn etic field on the shape of the heliotail and consequently on space dis tribution of the pick-up and anomalous cosmic ray ions convected into the heliotail region is estimated in a simple model based on a Newtoni an approximation. The ion distribution in the heliotail produces (via transcharging on background gas) a flux of energetic neutral atoms whi ch can be detected from the vicinity of the Earth. Directional depende nce of this flux can be used to determine the direction and possibly s trength of the interstellar field.