Abstract
The process of deceleration of the solar wind downstream of the termination shock is studied on the basis of a one-dimensional multi-component model. It is assumed that the solar wind consists of thermal protons, electrons and interstellar pickup protons. The protons interact with interstellar hydrogen atoms by charge-exchange. Two cases are considered. In the first one, the charge-exchange cross-section for thermal protons and hydrogen atoms is the same as for pickup protons and atoms. Under this condition, there is a strong dependence of the solar wind velocity on the downstream temperature of pickup protons. When the proton temperature is close to 10 keV, the change in the velocity with the distance from the termination shock is similar to that measured on the Voyager 1 spacecraft: linear velocity decrease is accompanied by an extended transition region with near-zero velocity. However, with a more careful approach to the choice of the charge-exchange cross-section, the situation changes dramatically. The strong dependence of the solar wind speed on the pickup proton temperature disappears and the transition region in the heliosheath disappears as well, at least at reasonable distances from the TS.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexashov, D., Izmodenov, V.: Astron. Astrophys. 439, 1171 (2005)
Baranov, V.B.: Adv. Space Res. 44, 471 (2009)
Baranov, V.B., Malama, Yu.G.: J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15157 (1993)
Belov, N.A., Ruderman, M.S.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 401, 607 (2010)
Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuña, M.H., Lepping, R.P., Connerney, J.E.P., Stone, E.C., McDonald, F.B.: Science 309, 2027 (2005)
Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuña, M.H., Lepping, R.P., Connerney, J.E.P., Richardson, J.D.: Nature 454, 75 (2008)
Chalov, S.V., Fahr, H.J.: Adv. Space Res. 47, 1523 (2011)
Chalov, S.V., Fahr, H.J., Malama, Y.G.: Ann. Geophys. 25, 275 (2007)
Chalov, S.V., Malama, Y.G., Alexashov, D.B., Izmodenov, V.V.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 455, 431 (2016)
Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., Hill, M.E., Armstrong, T.P., Gloeckler, G., Hamilton, D.C., Lanzerotti, L.J.: Science 309, 2020 (2005)
Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., Hill, M.E.: Nature 489, 124 (2012)
DeStefano, A.M., Heerikhuisen, J.: J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 837, 012013 (2017)
Fahr, H.J., Rucinski, D.: Astron. Astrophys. 350, 1071 (1999)
Geiss, J., Gloeckler, G., Fisk, L.A.: In: Izmodenov, V., Kallenbach, R. (eds.) The Physics of the Heliospheric Boundaries, ISSI Scientific Report No. 5, ESA-ESTEC (Paris), p. 137 (2006).
Holzer, T.E.: J. Geophys. Res. 77, 5407 (1972)
Izmodenov, V.V.: Space Sci. Rev. 130, 377 (2007)
Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., Decker, R.B., Hill, M.E.: Nature 474, 395 (2011)
Maher, L.J., Tinsley, B.A.: J. Geophys. Res. 82, 689 (1977)
Malama, Y.G., Izmodenov, V.V., Chalov, S.V.: Astron. Astrophys. 445, 693 (2006)
McNutt, R.L., Lyon, J., Goodrich, C.C.: J. Geophys. Res. 103, 1905 (1998)
Müller, H.-R., Florinski, V., Heerikhuisen, J., Izmodenov, V.V., Scherer, K., Alexashov, D., Fahr, H.-J.: Astron. Astrophys. 491, 43 (2008)
Richardson, J.D., Kasper, J.C., Wang, C., Belcher, J.W., Lazarus, A.J.: Nature 454, 63 (2008)
Stone, E.C., Cummings, A.C., McDonald, F.B., Heikkila, B.C., Lal, N., Webber, W.R.: Science 309, 2017 (2005)
Usmanov, A., Goldstein, M.L., Matthaeus, W.H.: Astrophys. J. 830, 17 (2016)
Acknowledgements
The work performed under the subject state assignments (No. registration AAAA-A17-117021310376-4). Partially the work was supported by the RFBR grant in the frames of the project 16-01-00305.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chalov, S.V. The role of charge-exchange cross-section for pickup protons and neutrals in the inner heliosheath. Astrophys Space Sci 363, 124 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-018-3347-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-018-3347-5