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The Solar Orbiter mission. Science overview
Williams, D.; Livi, S.; Peter, H. +32 more
Aims: Solar Orbiter, the first mission of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 programme and a mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA, will explore the Sun and heliosphere from close up and out of the ecliptic plane. It was launched on 10 February 2020 04:03 UTC from Cape Canaveral and aims to address key questions of solar and …
Combined analysis of AMS-02 (Li,Be,B)/C, N/O, 3He, and 4He data
Maurin, D.; Génolini, Y.; Derome, L. +2 more
Context. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) measured several secondary-to-primary ratios enabling a detailed study of Galactic cosmic-ray transport.
Aims: We constrain previously derived benchmark scenarios (based on AMS-02 B/C data only) using other secondary-to-primary ratios to test the universality of transport and the presence of a…
Magnitude and direction of the local interstellar magnetic field inferred from Voyager 1 and 2 interstellar data and global heliospheric model
Izmodenov, Vladislav V.; Alexashov, Dmitry B.
In this Letter, we provide constraints on the direction and magnitude of the pristine (i.e., unperturbed by the interaction with the Sun) local interstellar magnetic field. The constraints are based on analysis of the interstellar magnetic field components at the heliopause measured by magnetometer instruments on board Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. …
Galactic halo size in the light of recent AMS-02 data
Maurin, D.; Salati, P.; Génolini, Y. +6 more
Context. The vertical diffusive halo size of the Galaxy, L, is a key parameter for dark matter indirect searches. It can be better determined thanks to recent AMS-02 data.
Aims: We set constraints on L from Be/B and 10Be/Be data, and we performed a consistency check with positron data. We detail the dependence of Be/B and 10
Understanding the origins of the heliosphere: integrating observations and measurements from Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, and other space- and ground-based observatories
Williams, D.; Solanki, S. K.; Müller, D. +28 more
Context. The launch of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in 2018, followed by Solar Orbiter (SO) in February 2020, has opened a new window in the exploration of solar magnetic activity and the origin of the heliosphere. These missions, together with other space observatories dedicated to solar observations, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Hinode, I…
The solar wind from a stellar perspective. How do low-resolution data impact the determination of wind properties?
Güdel, M.; Airapetian, V. S.; Jin, M. +5 more
Context. Due to the effects that they can have on the atmospheres of exoplanets, stellar winds have recently received significant attention in the literature. Alfvén-wave-driven 3D magnetohydrodynamic models, which are increasingly used to predict stellar wind properties, contain unconstrained parameters and rely on low-resolution stellar magnetog…
Characteristics of solar wind suprathermal halo electrons
Fichtner, H.; Pierrard, V.; Lazar, M. +1 more
A suprathermal halo population of electrons is ubiquitous in space plasmas, as evidence of their departure from thermal equilibrium even in the absence of anisotropies. The origin, properties, and implications of this population, however, are poorly known. We provide a comprehensive description of solar wind halo electrons in the ecliptic, contras…
The residence-time of Jovian electrons in the inner heliosphere
Heber, B.; Herbst, K.; Vogt, A. +3 more
Context. Jovian electrons serve an important role in test-particle distribution in the inner heliosphere. They have been used extensively in the past to study the (diffusive) transport of cosmic rays in the inner heliosphere. With new limits on the Jovian source function, that is, the particle intensity just outside the Jovian magnetosphere, and a…
The cosmic-ray content of the Orion-Eridanus superbubble
Casandjian, J. M.; Grenier, I. A.; Schlickeiser, R. +2 more
Aims: The nearby Orion-Eridanus superbubble, which was blown by multiple supernovae several million years ago, has likely produced cosmic rays. Its turbulent medium is still energised by massive stellar winds and it can impact cosmic-ray transport locally. The γ radiation produced in interactions between cosmic rays and interstellar gas can b…
Organic matter in interstellar dust lost at the approach to the heliosphere. Exothermic chemical reactions of free radicals ignited by the Sun
Kimura, Hiroshi; Postberg, Frank; Altobelli, Nicolas +1 more
Aims: We tackle the conundrums of organic materials missing from interstellar dust when measured inside the Solar System, while undoubtedly existing in the local interstellar cloud (LIC), which surrounds the Solar System.
Methods: We present a theoretical argument that organic compounds sublimate almost instantaneously by exothermic reac…