Large-scale Interstellar Structure and the Heliosphere
arXiv:1310.2922
Abstract
The properties of interstellar clouds near the Sun are ordered by the Loop I superbubble and by the interstellar radiation field. Comparisons of the kinematics and magnetic field of the interstellar gas flowing past the Sun, including the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC), indicate a geometric relation between Loop I as defined by radio synchrotron emission, and the interstellar magnetic field that polarizes nearby starlight. Depletion of Fe and Mg onto dust grains in the LIC shows a surprising relation to the far ultraviolet interstellar radiation field that is best explained by a scenario for the LIC to be extended, possibly filamentary, porous material drifting through space with the Loop I superbubble. The interstellar velocity and magnetic field measured by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) help anchor our understanding of the physical properties of the nearby interstellar medium.
Paper accepted for publication in the proceedings of the 12th Annual International Astrophysics Conference "Outstanding problems in heliophysics: from coronal heating to the edge of the heliosphere", Editor Qiang Hu