The Heliosphere and Local Interstellar Medium from Neutral Atom Observations at Energies Below 10 keV
Schwadron, Nathan A.; Izmodenov, Vladislav V.; Kucharek, Harald; Möbius, Eberhard; Galli, André; Baliukin, Igor I.; Bzowski, Maciej; Kornbleuth, Marc; Opher, Merav; Reisenfeld, Dan; Swaczyna, Paweł
Switzerland, Russia, Poland, United States
Abstract
As the heliosphere moves through the surrounding interstellar medium, a fraction of the interstellar neutral helium, hydrogen, and heavier species crossing the heliopause make it to the inner heliosphere as neutral atoms with energies ranging from few eV to several hundred eV. In addition, energetic neutral hydrogen atoms originating from solar wind protons and from pick-up ions are created through charge-exchange with interstellar atoms.