2010/01/04 by M. Swisdak, M. Opher, J. F. Drake +1 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics #Computational physics #Diamagnetism #Energetic neutral atom #Heliosphere #Interplanetary magnetic field #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Magnetic field #Magnetic reconnection #Magnetohydrodynamic drive #Magnetohydrodynamics #Nuclear physics #Physics #Plasma #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Solar wind #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/710/2/1769
Submitted to ApJ; incorporates minor referee-suggested revisions
arxiv created 2010/01/04 · openalex publication_date 2010/02/02 · arxiv updated 2015/05/14 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We propose that magnetic reconnection at the heliopause (HP) only occurs where the interstellar magnetic field points nearly anti-parallel to the heliospheric field. By using large-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the heliosphere to provide the initial conditions for kinetic simulations of HP reconnection, we show that the energetic pickup ions downstream from the solar wind termination shock induce large diamagnetic drifts in the reconnecting plasma and stabilize non-anti-parallel reconnection. With this constraint, the MHD simulations can show where HP reconnection most likely occurs. We also suggest that reconnection triggers the 2–3 kHz radio bursts that emanate from near the HP. Requiring the burst locations to coincide with the loci of anti-parallel reconnection allows us to determine, for the first time, the vector direction of the local interstellar magnetic field. We find it to be oriented toward the southern solar magnetic pole.